In his statement, nowhere does it indicate to me that we will make a loss, only that the profit won't be as large as predicted/he'd like...
Secondly, just because airlines are (quite rightly) whingeing over BAA charging, why does that mean that NATS should suffer even more at the hands of the regulator??
Quote:
...it is likely that they will put the economic regulator under intense pressure to deliver a tough settlement for NERL, particularly after the much criticised review by some customers of BAA charges...
NATS provides a world class service, often praised by its customers... BAA on the other hand...
Fair enough savings may have to be made and costs cut, but using the fact that BAA fleeces the airlines for a sub standard service is not an acceptable reason. When I buy things, I expect to pay more for quality items...
As for cost saving - only the other day on the intranet 'Pinboard' there was an advertisement stating (paraphrase)
"Does anyone require a hotel room in Fareham - we have booked one for a meeting which has been cancelled and we will get charged full rate even if we don't use it"
This 'advert' originated
from the CTC.
Why are we still spending lots of money (and it is lots, I've attended meetings at the same hotel and have seen the cost) on meeting rooms when there are plenty at either CTC - (a mile down the road) or even at Swanwick (a whole 6 miles down the road)?? The meeting rooms are often greatly inferior to what we have in our own premises
I've asked the question before and been told it is to stop interruptions caused by having meetings in your own normal place of work... complete tosh! If you are at a meeting, you are at a meeting and therefore 'out of office' - just
do not accept any disturbances!
Standard Noise
With regards to instructors at the college, it should not just be about the money they will get... people should apply because htey like to teach (and are good at it). The current system whereby everyone gets upgraded to band 5 when they instruct at DAT&Sis ridiculous.
Instead, why not give every
suitable ATCO, regardless of the Band of unit they originate from, the same deal? Say a yearly payment on top of their normal salary when they are at the college, then, when it comes time to leave the college, a move to whichever unit they want (this will stop people staying at the college because they do not want to lose money going back to a 'low band' unit).
This is a much fairer way of doing it than the present system whereby someone from a band 2 unit gets a £20k pay rise whereas somoene from a band 5 unit gets a £1.5k pay rise. The ATCOs would continue to receive yearly increments until they are top of their scale. This would mean that
every instructor was given the same 'bonus' for passing on their knowledge.
NATS has only just managed to part company with an ex college instructor who failed to validate at a Band 5 unit (a higher band than he had originated from), despite being given numerous lives. The college should not be sen as a ticket by some, to a higher level of pay, if they are not going to be any good. Despite yours and Alfamans protestations, there are still instructors at th ecollege who should be out on their ear - people who have not been valid for years - initially through inability, then through being able to sit at the college and let life pass them by.
Hell we even take people back into the college who are acknowledged as previously being poor instructors, who then disappeared abroad and fail to validate
.
Is it any wonder that the college still has a reputation?
And yes Alfaman, before you ask, I have stated this to people at the college face to face...