DFC
The staffing shortages in all centres has nothing to do with union "blocking". Its mismanagement of staff.
Last year there were 14 staff transferred to dublin to do what 7 staff were doing in shannon, thats not an issue really if they get retrained to work multiple ratings in dublin, to date most have not been given the opportunity to get other ratings. Othere have been transfered and had to wait over 3 months to begin rating training in the interm they did assistant work.
In Shannon many staff have had some ratings expire (despite their desire to hold onto them) under instruction from management, because its too much bother to keep everyone current and to do the competency checks required, a vast waste of good experienced staff!!
There are numerous other examples of wastefulness, Sending operational controllers on "projects" during the busy summer periods when non current staff were available, etc, etc, the list goes on and on!!!!!