Undercover: I assume your riposte is aimed at my comments about admin staff.
Firstly a small correction: I think you will find that whilst we do indeed control the airspace it is the pilots (human or electronic) who land the planes..
I was not suggesting that I could run the company single handed, but like many people I do wonder why you need (if you believe South Today) 800+ people who support the operation (and I know that includes engineers). I remember reading that when TAG took over NATS they commented that they could not believe how administratively top-heavy the company was.
Two examples of what I was driving at:
1) OCT expenses: Claim form submitted to ORO Swanwick to check that you are eligible and attended on the relevant day. Form forwarded to Financial Services at LATCC (now closed) for checking. (If incorrect a memo sent to claimant advising of 5p or whatever amendment). Form then forwarded to T&RE Edinburgh for further checking and payment. Efficient and value for money? I think not.
2) I have been in discussion with HR Swanwick since May last year regarding an issue over my relocation. They have agreed to take certain action, but their last letter to me was in February 2002 and despite a reminder over a month ago I am still awaiting any form of response or action. Deserving of a pay rise and sympathetic handling of staff (remembering that moving house comes next in the stress list to bereavement)? I think not.
Yet these people get the same pay rise as us as Prospect negotiate on their behalf. Have any of them (apart from maybe you?) actually spoken up in defence of or against the ATCOs at this fairly crucial time? No. They just sit there and follow the flock.
Meldrewv: If you follow this thread through, you will see that what you are saying does not hold water. For years now we have seen traffic grow by 6%+, but we have been restricted to pay rises of under 3%. Now that the business has taken a downturn we are expected to accept that as a reason for a derisory pay offer. Don't forget that NATS is not supposed to make 'huge profits' anyway. Why should we start following traffic levels now just because it suits them?