Originally Posted by
BDiONU
What I'm saying is that there is always resistance to change, thats perfectly natural and a part of the human condition. God only knows we had enough of that when AC moved from West Drayton to Swanwick but after 3 months no one wanted to move back! Funny that!
BD
On just what do you base this statement? I recall no vote, questionnaire, or even informal dialogue. I suggest you have swallowed "the NATS management line" again, hook, line and sinker!!
Of course, we all know that there was never going to be such a vote. The option was never there, as the old ops room had been vandalised with indecent haste to prevent such embarrassing thoughts being aired.
Even if a vote had been held, there were so many factors which would have come into play that I suspect "going back" would not have been the winning option. By that stage most "shop floor" staff were so heartily sick and tired of the constant disruption to their lives that it was a relief to sit still, even in such an uncomfortable environment as Swanwick.
However, there was by no means 100% acceptance of the NATS vision of a better life. Why else would controllers who had been posted to the utopian Swanwick opt to return to old-fashioned West Drayton with such alacrity? Can it be a coincidence that nearly all of those operational staff "of a certain age" decided to take early retirement rather than enjoy a few more years of the glorious south-coast life-style, despite management pleas to stay on amidst long-term staff shortages?
I realise that there will be a few smirks, and a warm feeling that "the whingers have left", but, both on here and from my continuing contacts with serving members of staff, I have the distinct feeling that nothing has really changed in the implementation of new projects. It is still reminiscent of the first day of the Somme, where the Generals have a glorious vision of a "cake walk across no-man's land" and the PBI end up in the midst of the muck and bullets.
In the words of Black Adder, "Good luck everybody!".
NN