'Renegade' controllers leave pilots flying blind: air chief

[undervaluedATC]

from www.civilair.asn.au


Monday, 04 August 2008 Press Release Air Traffic Control and Airspace Closures

Allegations that “renegade” controllers are deliberately masterminding Australian airspace closures by way of unjustified sick leave spike are without substance. In Airservices’ annual “Waypoint” presentation to industry in June, General Manager ATC Jason Harfield observed that “Like all workplaces we are affected by illness and other personnel issues.”

Recently Airservices circulated information internally indicating that sick leave has remained substantially unchanged across the past 3 years but that overtime take up to cover staff absences and systemic staffing shortfalls has decreased. Critically, the number of staff willing to undertake overtime appears to be reducing as Airservices places more and more reliance upon it. Recent figures indicate expected seasonal sick leave patterns. Airservices has acknowledged as recently as this week in several forums that this is not a union coordinated activity preferring to blame a small number of “renegade” employees. Sick leave figures continue to sit at around 11.5 days lost per controller. This figure is above the national average but consistent with other 24 hour 365 day per year occupations.

Airservices seems bent on shifting the blame to those that have been holding a failing system together, rather than accepting the consequences of its own mismanagement of human resources across an extended period of time. Airservices fails to acknowledge the severe effect of long term reliance on overtime upon staff morale, health and welfare. Australian Air Traffic Controllers have supported the system for years during staff shortages whilst various management and operational restructures have reduced staff availability and flexibility. The simple truth is that the system has been unsustainable for some time and shortfalls were dramatically exacerbated by redeployment of a significant number of operational controllers into management and supervisory roles commencing March 2007.

Airservices erroneously quotes a current shortage of 17 controllers but internally estimates that this minimum staffing figure is unsustainable. Further, the proposal to train 100 controllers a year is currently unattainable with the ATC Academy only able to deliver 60 trainees per annum as currently resourced. Constant restructuring in pursuit of apparently unattainable corporate efficiencies is preventing successful recovery from the trouble torn environment we face each and every day. With yet another ATC reform project commencing, we hold grave fears for the future.

Air Traffic Controllers are part of the solution, not the problem.