AN ANNOUNCEMENT yesterday that an agreement has been reached in the dispute involving firefighters and the airport management will be welcomed by those looking to fly over the weekend – but there is no guarantee that their flights will be trouble-free.

What Guernsey’s industrial disputes officer finally released was more remarkable for what it did not say than the information it actually disclosed.

It remains unclear whether the fire crews will suspend their periodic bouts of sickness that close the airport, nor was it explained whether their union, now seemingly responsible for airport employment policy, will allow UK crew in to end the staff shortages there.

But what the joint release does highlight is the length of time it has taken union, airport management and the Public Sector Remuneration Committee to achieve nothing apart from disruption to the traveling public and generate tens of thousands of pounds-worth of compensation claims by the airlines.

The reason is that yesterday’s ‘agreement’ is simply on a possible way forward to reach what islanders would understand to be an agreement – an end to hostilities at the airport.

Instead, the disputes service has to resolve manning levels, best working arrangements, what the crews actually do (‘duties to be undertaken’) and overtime and other working practices.

In short, it is only with the involvement of the disputes officer that any progress looks possible and his agenda includes matters that should have been resolved by management or the PSRC months ago. As it is, the three-month window just negotiated means this dispute will be nearly three years old if it is resolved in that timeframe – but progress is only just starting.

It is also revealing that the disputes officer has had to tell both sides to embrace the concept of meaningful negotiations with a view to reaching a settlement rather than squatting in their bunkers.

So, too, is the belated involvement of a mediator. Since both sides have accepted an independent – but secret – report which recommends commercialisation and an end to bureaucratic difficulties, it is difficult to see just what is left to argue over.