Swanwick is 'not a pleasure' say ATCO's

[Roger Dodge]

Page 122 on Ceefax reports that all is not well at the UK's "main" ATC Centre. Overload reports are at their highest ever level, there are poor relations between managers and staff and ATCO morale is at an all time low.

Agree with most of that......"main" centre!!! On what grounds is this gem based????:p :p

[5milesbaby]

on the grounds that we 'probably' have the most ATCO/ATSA's on our books. That do? Not that a few more wouldn't improve things a little, like overloads...morale.... :{

[055166k]

It's not so much the overloads but the "loading" in general. We are used to handling extremely complex and busy traffic scenarios which are in the main constrained into a manageable delivery by flow control methods. In a natural environment the intensity of the demand would rise and fall, thereby allowing a purely human reaction of getting ones breath back; but this is not a natural environment. At Swanwick the Local Area Supervisor can spot a reduction in traffic intensity and due to staffing constraints will order two sectors to be joined together in order to facilitate legally required breaks. The quieter period of traffic no longer exists as the combined sectors are now up to maximum traffic level again. For computers....no problem....but we are human and we can break. You overlook the human element at your peril!

[Jerricho]

I think I know where RD is coming from with this one. It seems the only references in the "learned" media about TC seem to be along the lines of "The old West Drayton site" and the antiquated computer systems etc that made headlines not that long ago.

I must admit, I sometimes feel that the focus is very much on Swanwick when ATC discussions/articles rear their ugly heads in the media.

Also, discussions regarding shift changes, pay, morale etc do seem to centre on Swanwick as well, yet you never hear of these issues at the other units (Centres and Airports). As you said 5miles, Swanwick does have a larger number of staff, but sometimes feeling like NATS' poorer cousin unit isn't as great for morale either. I'm sure some of the Airfield units feel this way when sometimes all you hear is "Heathrow, Heathrow, Heathrow...."

[Arkady]

But Jerricho, TC got to star in that wonderful BBC "docu-fiction" on the British Transport system a few months back. Swanwick was never mentioned. :p

[Roger Dodge]

And what a well researched and professional job they did too:mad: :mad: :\

[Jerricho]

Awwww Ark, why did you have to mention that damn show? My therapist has just convinced me it wasn't a personal attack against me.......there goes all those months of hard work ;).

[250 kts]

Back to the original subject!! I don`t hear loads of people moaning about LACC anymore. The system is reasonably stable and it is a much better area to live than West London or the M4 corridor.

I was a big doubter of both the location and the system but we have what we have and it ain`t going to change.

The fact that we don´t have enough staff yet is a management problem. As for bandboxing we are our own worst enemies. keep the sectors open and the workload equalised and no one can complain can they?

[Arkady]

250

I don't know how you run your LAG but ours is managed by bandboxing and splitting. As 055166k says, we have to put sectors together, when it is possible, to get the breaks required. It is not uncommon to use all the rostered staff for short periods leaving no-one to give breaks, relying on sectors to be bandboxed before someone goes out of hours. There is cover, but only by taking staff rostered to another LAG, and if they are in a similar position.....

[250 kts]

Arkady,

In reality you are right which is why I say we are our own worst enemies. But surely if the position is open on the PSS then there should be enough staff for just that-the fact that we all like extra breaks if possible shafts us ultimately.

There is nothing wrong with LASs being flexible with how the staff are used but running as tight as this long term will create problems eventually.

[Arran's view]

250 kts your ideas seem common sense. If you have the staff why don't you open sectors ? It looks from the outside that your management of staff is as much to blame for delays as the actual shortages.

How many SRATCOH busts occur each month ?

[Arkady]

250

I take your point, there is a bit of self interest when the decision to bandbox is required but I'm not sure keeping sectors open to reflect the PSS is the right solution for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, and this is the self-interest bit, alot of ATCOs use their breaks for admin purposes, reports, rosters, leave books, etc not to mention the debriefing of trainees which can take a big chunk out of 30mins.

Secondly, keeping sectors split to reflect the PSS implies the ability to keep sectors bandboxed also as per the PSS, which we both know is a leap of faith too far.

I realise that your proposal is to illustrate a point rather than provide an alternative way of managing the staffing and that we both agree that the essential problem is lack of valid ATCOs. I don't think we can improve the situation from the shop floor until numbers rise.