For
Touch'n'oops:
thank you for your constructive post, very much needed among so much hate one´s.
Regarding a more contundent response from our part to the agression we are suffering from Spanish goverment and AENA, here is an explanation from my colleague
El Molo:
"
(..) And finally, we cannot strike. For 3 reasons. We are legally fighting the new law. AENA is trying to force us to go to strike far before the decree, from early 2009. If we did so, then as the conflict would be between us and AENA, the government would immediately act as a referee, and force then the new T&C not as they are now, imposed, but as a new collective agreement. Secondly, when we go to strike, the minimum services declared for us are 100 to 110 %. So the strike doesn't stop the air traffic at all. You get all the inconvenience of the strike (bad press and government's referee) with no benefits as the service will work exactly the same as if you don't strike. And third, we cannot force a savage strike, not respecting the minimum services, because we have from 2003 an "Air Safety Law" performed by another minister also very keen to us, that entitles the government to fine us with only 250.000 € if we attempt against the continuity or safety of the system. Believe me, if we could gain something by strike, we would have done it far before."
The complete post is here:
http://www.pprune.org/showthread.php...08#post5838111 , and he answers other questions too (have a look to our reasons for not giving so many directs or not filed FL´s).
And about the occasional priority given to Spanish companies over other foreign ones, I can only tell you that I have never, EVER, given priority to anybody because of the nationality of the carrier. I have witnessed this on very few occasions with some senior colleague. And I have been ranted MORE than on few ocassions by an Spanish pilot for not giving him priority. Seniors are more present in app sectors, of which I believe you complain more: I´m not yet on that job, only an enroute ATCO.
Saludos!