Once again we are being turned into the ALDI of ATC providers ( I suppose ALDI have some uses-unlike our esteemed director of HR who has nothing but staff shortages and a extremely angry staff to show for his work over the last 5 years), Mr K please explain now to the board how you tried to sack an entire SEP course and prevented an increase in the operational pool of controllers in 2001, just like the safety regulator-NO balls,NO planning and a culture of bullying embedded in the company.
When will mismanagement learn that they need to staff above minimums, they need to see reason and understand that having extra staff allows them to provide career breaks, job sharing, training and properly resource projects-the controllers should not be manning these 'extras' from the operations pool. It is not all that long ago that staff were forced to resign as career breaks would not be permitted, this was promptly followed by a VER scheme. The lack of planning in IAA hq is astonishing. If I have heard correctly on the grapevine some genius wants to operate a FIS suite for daylight hours out of present staffing levels in Dublin this summer, the only way this can be done as I see it without increasing staff is to have us work longer hours and get shorter breaks. When will they realise that an increase in traffic and working more will just lead us to an unthinkable result-and you can bet for the next two summers we will be working to minimums all over again.
Staff MUST bear all this in mind when we are presented with a ballot at some stage in the future, included on this ballot will probably be a 5 and 3 roster with longer hours, some vague promise from mismanagement about casual leave and staffing levels (in relation to DUB but you can bet SNN and CRK will be shafted as well) - we the staff must ensure that the staffing factor/levels are increased to allow more staff in the centres at all times, so what if it allows a controller on a night duty to take a longer break or ensure no one is overworked if someone reports sick at short notice. We need more staff at all times and not staff to minimums.
As a final note, full respect is due to all the staff working under stressful conditions due to staff shortages at present, flow control can only protect them so much from shorter breaks and reduced staffing.
Well done all.