NATS Rostering Question
When not digging peat and fishing the fresh air out of my brain in the far north I have gainful employment amongst those who direct the railway in large boxes.
There has recently been an RAIB report issued after a derailment at East Somerset Junction, Witham. The report highlighted as a factor working time and fatigue (the 'box involved did have a peculiar roster pattern) and recommended that the roster pattern(s) which ATC's undertake. Sadly it left small details out such as rostering dependant on traffic, meal relief (whats that?!!!), the base rostered hours - ours are 35hrs but sunday turns (12hrs) are basically "rostered overtime" etc etc.
So - is there a universal roster which covers every ATC position in the country - or is there a negotiated "base" which is then left up to local agreements etc.
Is that roster dependant on the level of traffic?
What in the way of meal breaks do you guys n gurls get?
Is the break a set period away from the workplace - i.e. disappear outside and have a fag for 20mins (difficult at Heathrow I would reckon)
What are the base hours...
Any answers to the above or a push toward a specific thread/ website would of course be appreciated and I am sure this will be moved if in the wrong "bit".
n.b If there is one job I wouldn't do it would be yours. We work in two dimensions and have electrical current to stop things if it all goes awry..