How many of those people here moaning about the IAA controllers have actually visited an ATC centre? Those who havent how could you possibly know how stressful the job is?
No one denies the job can be stressful. Of course it can. You only have to fly within the London TMA or to a major airport at peak time to see what ATCOs deal with. However when it appears that the union has disguised the introduction of new technolgy and working practices as a stressor which as a result has left 20 ATCOs suspended by the IAA as they failed to comply with the new methods, something appears to be amiss. Especially when pay increases, high average salaries, massive pension contributions and lowered capacity is mentioned in the same breath!
Put it in the perspective of the pilot. We have lower average salaries than ATCOs, which I agree is no fault but our own, yet in a dynamic industry we continually have our working practices altered. We often change aircraft type, mostly at the decision and request of our employers. It requires lenghty conversion courses, examining and training on line. I've never heard of anybody actually striking over it and I'm not aware of anyone getting a pay raise because of it (unless they deliberately change operator for sake of a better contract). The same goes for the majority of professions that introduce new technolgy and practices which in turn require their staff to be retrained.
If no one actually knows what the real 'story' behind the ATCOs industrial action is then someone better come out and publicly announce it. Instead IMPACT have made an arse of you all by making the public out to be stupid feckers and appearing indifferent about the disruption caused. People have no time for this kind of behaviour, especially now!