Air traffic controllers back industrial action

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Air traffic controllers have voted to take industrial action in protest against government plans to part-privatise the system.

Saturday's decision came after a two-day meeting of the controllers' union, the Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialists, in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

"It is in the public interest that we are doing it. We don't believe that profits and safety mix and we will continue saying that," a union spokesman said in a TV interview.

"Negotiations will take place but it will be backed up by industrial action."

It was not immediately clear what form industrial action would take.

The British government said on Wednesday they had received bids from the three groups invited to submit final offers for a stake in National Air Traffic Services (NATS).

Under its proposed plan, a strategic private sector partner would take a 46 percent stake in NATS, with five percent allocated to NATS staff and a 49 percent stake kept by the government.

The shortlist includes the Airline Group, which brings together British Airways and Virgin Atlantic with six other airlines, Nimbus, which includes Serco, the UK facilities management group, and Lockheed Martin-backed Novares.

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