You can hardly blame controllers if the traffic figures are dropping off, or is that also down to their lack of band 5 ability? "25 aircraft an hour" it said in the Guardian! Band 4 would never be able to manage that.
The point of this thread which started out as very sensible, is that the negative equity issue of the moment, means that some people cannot (not will not) afford to move there, without taking a 50k hit and buying a bedsit up there. The company has a duty to make sure its workforce are not doing a 4/5 hour commute to work.
It is also not an issue how many people are retreads from down South, they company had a chance to get something from there investment by retraining them at MACC or SCACC or an airfield, nothing in that, takes away a controller's god given right to moan and whinge.
What good is an interest free loan? None.
But despite sensible debate, there will always be poeple who are not involved, getting paid more, who feel that they know best about soemthing that does not affect them.
I have a great deal of sympathy for the people who were posted straight to MACC, who would have loved to go to Swanwick, but will now never get the chance, and will never earn Band 5 cash, through no fault of their own. Personally I couldn't care less, I earn plenty, and am not arsed what other people earn, but some people have to stick their oar in, and it is usually the people who earn the most