Redfield,
I couldn't agree more. It's just that this is the way the job has gone in recent years, with some companies/Handling Agents getting the 'dispatcher' to cover several flights at once. From our perspective as Airfield Operations, it results in less on-the-spot supervision, which also bothers the CAA, who quite rightly are demanding that we all do something about it. Hence one pro-active operator at LGW more or less re-inventing the job.
Cheers,
TheOddOne