Originally Posted by
ausatc123
Covid/Sick leave would have pushed it over the edge... but the entire system is at breaking point all over Australia. ASA is denying its even a problem if you read the news. I doubt you'd find a single controller in Australia that doesn't think staffing is at or beyond a critical level. Its been steadily getting worse for years... covid should have been the perfect time to update sim courses and train up staff we need. Instead we closed airspace to save on overtime. Gave 150 controllers a redundancy package... and now 2 years later the only thing keeping it going is overtime. Some are over 350 hours. Its going to get a lot worse before it gets better. It will take a major aviation disaster before policies are changed.
As one of former managers used to say "The best outcome is the worst outcome", think about that for a moment.
ATC system has been based on the use of OT, based on staff being prepared to give their days off to earn extra $$. I recently heard that an ATC grossed > $24,000 is a single fortnight.