ATCO not equal with ATMO
It's easier to say, "Who cares what they call us as long as they pay us?!" True, because after all, we work in order to survive and at the end of the day, it's how much we bring home for our family that matters most. But that's not always the case. It's a whole lot different issue if they change the name and not change the salary but instead make it equal to those who are not our equal. "Just compensation for a service done", as they say. But where is justice here if we don't receive what we deserve?
We underwent grueling, excruciating months just to pass the training; took up exams to get our ATC license; and still underwent trainings both conventional and procedural in the facility of assignment just to get the ratings. We have both administrative and criminal liabilities because we handle billions worth of properties and invaluable lives of the flying public. And then all of a sudden, we become one with those who did not take the same training and licensure exams and facility ratings? We receive the same salary and benefits with those who only transmit weather information, give traffic advisory and all those who work in the flight information service? Have they failed to see the difference between "control' and "advisory"? They're just a couple of simple words but they mean differently and have entirely different scope.
That's what the people in the Civil Service (and even those heads in the ATS department) failed to see. And if that's the case that the delineation is gone, what's the ATC license for? It's all travesty. An insult to our profession!