blow.n.gasket: MEMO TO STAFF: The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Should be funny....but far too true
ozbiggles: I'd fined it very stressful being told planned holidays with my family had just been cancelled because the company I worked for was incompetent.
It's not just the stress of losing a much needed break from shiftwork, imagine the stress (whether anger or disappointment) from the family. Regardless of whether they kick and scream with anger/frustration or just sadly try to say "that's ok Mum/Dad" it's still a horrible thing to have to go home to tell your partner/kids (ask the Willy controllers who had their Christmas leave cancelled with only days' notice last year). I don't have stats in front of me, but, anecdotally, the divorce/relationship breakdown rate for ASA and RAAF ATCs seems huge. Way above the 50% nat average.
And as Le Pinguoin pointed out - at the end of the 3 months what will have changed? The only guarantee is that there will be a more fatigued work force and a huge leave debt on their cards - which they still will have difficulty taking!
Last Christmas (literally, even on Christmas Eve) RAAFies were getting phone calls left, right and centre saying "come to Syd - your choice of TWR or APP, just need you in Syd ASAP" - some had already been offered enroute short courses (one I know of was due to start on Jan 6 and on Dec 24 they're calling not once, but 5, say again 5 times to push SYD.
Some, who hadn't even been made an offer yet (which meant, of course, that they hadn't resigned) received the same SYD offer in the week leading up to Christmas - even though it would have been impossible to resign over the reduced activity period with 13 days notice!
So it was obvious that they were desperate to recruit experienced ATCOs to Syd. Lots of pressure from recruiting - but no sweetner of course!
Laws of supply and demand ASA - make a better offer, whether it's more money, extra leave (not that you'd get to take it), housing allowance, free lap dances in the crew room whatever!