Fitness for work - If you're not fit stay home, get better and don't bloody come to work and infect me. Ditto to having a hangover or other impairment - I don't want my name featuring in the report on your incident!!
Workload - when it all gets too much HOLD the traffic, don't accept departures, impose start up restrictions, in other words, use your loaf and don't allow yourself to be pressured
I don't know what country you are controlling in but I am pretty certain it is not OZ. While I personally agree with your above points and they are how I conduct myself and have done so (people sit up and pay attention very quickly when you hit a hot line and say "keep those ones clear of mine"), the culture of management intimidation to the new joiners puts a stop to this very quickly.
When individuals pay increases are directly influenced and decided by your immediate supervisor, there are a number who are just plain ''**** scared'' to rock the boat. When Airservices has a sick leave process in place that you receive a letter of caution as a 24 hour shift worker when taking an amount of days that is LESS than the average taken by the clerical staff, it is quite obvious that safety is not the concern but the dollar and protecting bonuses based on service continuity.
As for traffic metering, I suggest knowing the Airservices application of Operational Command Authority would make it clear that stopping departures is not an option for the enroute controller. Even during complete systems failures we have had departures allowed by individuals holding OCA.
Above someone mentioned that the controller 'just stuffed up'. Sure that may be the case at face value but to completely disregard that things like staffing and management supervisionary practices do not have a part to play in incidents such as these shows an extreme lack of understanding of risk identification aand management.
This will be my last comment on things AsA as I officially am off the books after today. Best of luck to you all. You are going to need it.
Plazbot, out.