Northerner
"..but it's not going to win you the support you really need..."
I and my ATSA 2 colleagues have spent the last 3 years expending time, effort and energy into simply trying to justify our very existence at LL Tower, and all to no avail.
On a personal/local level, the battle to garner support for the Heathrow ATSA2's would appear to be lost already. I appreciate that you and Ceannairceach may be prepared to put your ars*s on the line in the collective ATSA defence, but for every individual like yourselves, there are 49 others who will 'talk the talk' only, and another 50 who couldn't give a flying FK for anybody else save themselves. So, to the rest of you 'non-ATSAs' out there, ask yourself honestly which of the above groups you fit into - and just bear in mind that one day you too may find yourselves in a similar position to us.
Here's the bit that really sends my blood pressure into overdrive - we're continually told how 'important' we are to 'the team', and how 'essential' our presence is when the !!!!! hits the fan. All fanny fart and utter bollox
- it has made not a single jot of difference when push really came to shove!
There is no support for us, and judging by the way that the ATCOs have leapt to our defence in the past (HAH!) and the current staff mindset (look after No.1), I expect there will be nothing forthcoming by way of support for the rest of the ATSA crew across NATS from anywhere else within the workforce, either.
The tasks and the problems which surface when equipment fails have not disappeared - they are just going to be dished out to others - YOU! The support grades are/were your extra pair of hands in such situations. All we are now is the sacrificial lambs - its a done deal. And, by looking at whats going on, and how many of us will soon be dealt the !!!!!tiest hand in the deck, we can now also see where
your priorities lie.
enjoy your payrise, folks, and pray our 'electronic replacements' dont ever let you down.