Ok well PPruneRadar, we will have to agree to disagree.
Fact 1. ASA is short of staff. So short they are closing sectors on a regular basis.
Fact 2. The training of Ab-Initios costs in the vicinity of $300,000 Australian, and at the end of that they are lucky to get half of the trainees rated. And forgetting the cost, the number of trainees is not enough to cover the shortfall that already exists, coupled with the retirements that are impending.
Fact 3. The expats aren't begging for a job back. ATC'ers are more in demand in expat ATC job markets now than ever before. So what is being said is that it makes good business sense to recognise the experience these guys have, and pay them accordingly. If they don't want to do that, fine, they continue to run short, and we continue to live and work O/S.
You call us mercenaries. We have gone and worked overseas for a million different reasons, and not always money. I made more money in Australia, even when taking into account tax, but I wanted to get out because the ATC was more interesting here than it was back home. Due to that I have gained skills I wouldn't have in Australia. When the expats return they bring with them that experience, and those skills, and the benifactor is the ATC company.
My personal opinion is that if ATC wasn't such a closed market the world over and companies actually encouraged controllers to work on term transfers in other countries, ATC would be the better for it. Most other industries benefit from the cross pollination of ideas and techniques but it seems that ATC'ers always feel that their way and the way their country does it is the best.
Anyway I guess you aren't going to agree, since you work in a country that doesn't even recognise a controllers license from another country, so I better "**** off".
Fa