§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish details of the pay award made by the Civil Aviation Authority to the air traffic controllers' assistants, and whether or not the lump sum payment of £315 plus 10 per cent. from next April comes within the Government guidelines.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisOn 1st April 1978, the anniversary of their phase 2 award, the air traffic control assistants will get an increase in pay of 4 per cent. in addition to any increase payable under a 5W central settlement for staff of the Civil Aviation Authority, the negotiating group to which the 10 per cent. guidelines applies. They may receive an increase of up to a further 4 per cent., provided that the Authority's wage costs are not thereby increased by more than 10 per cent.
The balance of the new pay scales agreed by the Civil Aviation Authority in 1976 will be implemented as soon as Government pay policy permits but there will be no retrospection.
The Civil Aviation Authority will also make an immediate payment of a lump sum to the air traffic control assistants but this will not take their earnings outside phase 2 limits.
The terms of the settlement are compatible with Government pay policy both as to timing and to amount.