250kts
'Didn't all permanent ATSAs recieve a payment earlier this year to allow non permanent staff to be recruited into the grade so it would be a last in 1st out system? Sounds like you took a bung to help ensure you wouldn't be 1st in line to lose your job. Do we have any evidence any where in the country of ATSAs having been forced into redundancy?? '
A payment was made to serving full time ATSA2s as part of a deal concerning staffing reductions NATS-wide as outlined under the 2005 Business Plan. For EGLL this meant a reduction of 5 ATSA posts (30 down to 25). Since the payment was agreed, there has never been any proposal or plan placed in front of us as to explain or identify exactly how this would be achieved - except that it all had to be completed before the move to the New VCR in Oct06. We are still at least 2 ATSAs over the agreed number of 25. There is absolutely no chance of VCA ATSAs being recruited into LL Tower doing the same job as myself as things stand, so, no, I would say that we didn't take a 'bung' to save our own positions. Based on the fact that over the last decade, the promotional prospects for LL ATSA2s has been probably the poorest within the Company, I'd say that we all knew without a doubt that some of us will be leaving via the back door before too long.
As to evidence of ATSA redundancy, I can only speak for what I have seen at LL. No redundancies as yet - BUT, with the above issue still to be resolved, no sufficient prospects of promotion within LL (there never has been!), other stations/centres facing a similarly identified overburden of ATSA posts in the not too distant future (iFacts, MACC etc), the issue of new staffing levels to be decided for our new VCR (the local proposal is for 20, but the target for management is 15 - can be achieved by getting ATCOs to do nights' SAMOS, no less!) - and a resounding message from Senior Management at our ATSA open meeting last July that there will be no pay-offs, and little or no chance of meaningful redeployment - you tell me how all this is going to be sorted without recourse to redundancy?
In the face of such difficulties, I find it very hard to see how the problem will be resolved without redundancy figuring somewhere in the equation, but, with regard to the issue being debated here, I am not prepared to stand aside quietly and just let another group of workers vote me out of a job for a paltry 2% in their paypackets.
I expect my Union to do EXACTLY what is required here - oppose such a move, and secure the best deal it can for the members it is supposed (!) to represent. As soon as this happens, and I see proof positive that the ATCO 'threat' has been removed, I shall put the soapbox away until next time........ and I'm sure there will be a next time
