Air traffic control is part of the infrastructure of any civilised country ...
Why is ATC any more essential than airports or airlines? Or are you proposing nationalisation of the entire aviation industry? Maybe you should remember sometime that you are just part of a commercial activity the same as everybody else.
You are perpetuating the myth of controllers as one of God's chosen. Yes, safety is of prime importance, but no more so than for a pilot. You take home your salary because someone pays for your service. The only difference is that if ATC is run badly, someone usually bails them out, whereas an airline goes bust and the workers get sacked.