Fire fighters pay dispute delays Derry Airport flights

Flights were delayed at City of Derry Airport on Wednesday as fire crews called a two-hour stoppage in a protest over pay.

While some London and Dublin Ryanair services were delayed for more than an hour because of the action, the airport officials said they tried to keep the disruption to services to a minimum.

A spokesperson for the airport management said: "The future of the airport relies on the support of customers, airlines and their passengers and it is important to recognise the value of their support and move forward to resolve this dispute as soon as possible."

Fire fighters are centring the dispute on the fact they are paid less than colleagues "almost anywhere else in the UK".

There have been talks to try and resolve the dispute. On Wednesday, the Labour Relations Agency made further attempts to broker an agreement between the sides.

However, it is believed that if the talks are not successful the fire crews plan to intensify their action with a half-day stoppage next week and a full-day stoppage the week after that.

(MB)