Folks
A few minor points.
1/. The LHR controllers have NOT asked for a bung for going to the NVCR. They have asked to be re-compensed either in time or an appropriate alternative, for the increase in their travelling time to get to their place of work. I see nothing wrong with this and if KK did not ask then that is their affair, not LHRs.
2/.
Originally Posted by
2miles600feet
The risk of being inconvenienced by your employer was something you signed up for when you joined.
Correct, but if you get moved to another unit, or if you are clever enough not to validate somewhere, NATS wade in with an assisted move and pay for a whole lot of your costs. And the MACC/LACC/LTCC controllers will/have this made avalaible to them as I recall. The workplace of the LHR controller may be only a "quarter of a mile away" (slightly further than that mate but I'm happy to go with it) but there is an associated time penalty. Having to go through the security checks, especially with the new BAA checking policy, and then through the whole terminal WILL mean an increase in the time it takes to get to the NVCR (something the KK controllers know all about I am sure) and this is a change in the working conditions that are afforded to the LHR controllers so I think that they are quite justified in asking for something for this.
3/. The union, of which most of the NATS ATCOs are members, support the requests of the LHR ATCOs so the amount of personal sniping about Prima Donnas or Captains stripes shows not that the LHR controllers have no case, but only that there still exists a seam of controllers who feel the need to be generally unpleasant to a group of controllers who undertake the same task as every other tower controller around the country, the only difference is that they do it near Hounslow. It is quite sickening to see this happen whenever an LHR tower controller dares to voice an opinion about being hard done to.
Originally Posted by
2miles600feet
I do not profess to know enough about it to offer opinions. What irks me (and I suspect a number of others on this forum) is reading complaints from LHR staff about the inconvenience of the move.
You are right old buddy - it irks me too that complaints are made about inconvenience. It is inconvenient that we have to move all these bloody planes. It is inconvenient that we have to go to work in the first place. But notwithstanding these rather lame arguments, thr LHR controllers still have valid opinions about the new equipment (that I subscribe to only in part - given time familiarity will come ergo being adept with it will also) and the move to the NVCR is worrying some of the controllers.
For as much as some of their colleagues on here berate them, the LHR controllers do an OK job of shifting the jets on the airport and take a great deal of pride in doing so. To then move to a situation of not feeing comfortable doing it, and facing a (short term) reduction in the traffic being moved, are matters of personal and professional pride for them. And for this we should respect them, not throw tired, moribund accusations of being "Special Ones" at them.
The wider ATCO community is soon to face a greater assualt on its stability and if we cannot stand united, or behind our colleagues who are trying to get a better deal for themselves, then the task of the opposing view that we face will be made much simpler.
P7