Chilli Monster
Management's strategic planning with regard to ATC staffing seems to be a combination of head-in-sand and fingers crossed.
Fortunately the majority of ATCOs are in the 35-50 age bracket, the nearest retirement is 3 years away.
Of more pressing concern is the prevention of staff leaving. One would think, given the present situation, management would be moving hell and high water to keep the existing staff sweet. Not a bit of it.
At present the unit does not have an Air Traffic Service Manager. The previous two incumbents having resigned due to the pressure of trying to squeeze a quart out of a pint pot.
The Unit Training Officer has resigned and that post remains vacant.
The unit remains just about the lowest paid in the country.
The latest recruit was offered a contract with 4 days less leave than the previous new start, 9 less than the old hands. When this was queried he was told that the contract was correct and it was management's intention to "harmonise" the other staff's leave to this, raising many an eyebrow.
Rumours abound that, come October, staff in the existing local government pension will be removed from the scheme.
Conspiracy theorists espouse the belief that the present situation is being deliberately engineered by Peel as a pre-cursor to closing the airfield permanently, with a view to turning the place into an housing development.
Whilst of course these rumours and theories could be easily quashed, management remain steadfastly silent on the subject. Direct communication between management and ATC within recent times has been a big fat zero.
Last edited by Bol Zup; 31st May 2007 at 12:13.