Originally Posted by
ReportVisual
The obvious solution is to roster the overtime the same way as other shifts. The EBA stipulates that reasonable overtime should be completed, I don't see why controllers should not do 1-2 additional shifts every 2-3 weeks. This is normal in other companies and it only seems to be the controllers that have a problem with it. ASA has a robust fatigue management system and therefor the constant complaining about fatigue is absolute rubbish.
The airlines and customers should not have to face delays just because the controllers don't want to play their part in the system. We need a clean out and those who don't want to support the company should just go.
I'll refrain from asking, "Jase is that you?" but seriously, this is a safety critical system and your solution is to roster shifts controller more shifts on the basis that ASA has a robust fatigue management system. ASA and fatigue risk management system don't even belong in the same sentence.
The ASA fatigue risk management system was designed to find someone to sign off the residual risk potential
Lower Fatigue Risk for ATCs can be signed off by Shift Managers and System Supervisors (or higher)
Lower Medium Fatigue Risk can only be signed off by Unit Manager, Unit Tower Supervisor, ATC Line Manager and Operations Room Manager (or higher)
Higher Medium Fatigue Risk can only be signed off by Service Managers (or higher)
Higher Fatigue Potential can only be signed off by Northern / Southern Operations Managers (or higher).
[perhaps some older position titles but you and others will get the picture].
Someone will sign it off the risk to avoid a service continuity issue, or because their individual KPI's are affected.
The only thing that stops an ATC working every day of the year is a clause from the ATC Enterprise Agreement that says:
The maximum number of consecutive shifts worked, inclusive of additional duty or emergency duty, will be ten (10) shifts.
The only thing that stops an ATC working double or triple shifts is a clause from the ATC Enterprise Agreement that says:
With an employee’s consent, a rostered shift may be extended prior to the scheduled commencement time and/or beyond the nominal finishing time, provided that the total hours acquitted for the shift do not exceed ten (10) hours.
Each time the
ATC Enterprise Agreement is up for discussion, AsA wants these and other clauses removed. The logic presented is the same as advocated by
ReportVisual - "robust fatigue management system". In fact AsA would be very happy to delete the section titled "Hours of Work" in the
ATC Enterprise Agreement and put it into an internal document, procedure or guide.
And the BTW, it is my understanding that CASA, as aviation regulator, didn't accept ASA's arguments that ASA had "robust fatigue management system".