I've just read the thread - have to admit to having seen similar attitudes in our national carrier - I think it's called work to rule.
As far as ATC goes I'd guess it rates along with the occasional bout of "protest controlling" that happens from time to time - you know - no visual approaches, no vectors for short ILS, everyone joins final at 15 miles and flies the approach at 150knots, no maintaining own sep in VMC etc. After a while you realise that the bean counters can't tell the difference, and all you're doing is making your day at work bl**dy difficult.
For all that I can sympathise with the writer when you're efforts to excell are met with a spit in the eye.
