Spain to curb air traffic staff pay

SPAIN'S government yesterday moved to use emergency legislation to rein in its air traffic controllers, who earn up to 900,000 a year in a country suffering a recession and nearly 20 per cent unemployment.

The controllers are technically civil servants, but signed an agreement in 1999 giving them autonomy and control over their salaries. Development minister Jose Blanco said the new law will return the sector to Spain's public airport authority, AENA.

Mr Blanco said the high annual salaries – an average of 375,000 a year – defeat the government's goal of cutting costs.