In post 772 Reinjan asks for a balanced view:
Could anyone with a view to the situation comment on similarities - or not - with the USA ATC situation in 1981, Ronald Reagan's measures taken and the then immediate and final outcome for all involved?
In 1981 the FAA had made its homework to counter the PATCO strike. Apart from calling back retired people, putting managers and office people back behind the radar screens, the use of military support personnel, the extension of working hours, (see also post 780 by ATC-Watcher) the FAA had made up a scheme of rigorous
flow control ,allowing a limited and strongly regulated number of aircraft to fly on particular routes at fixed Flight Levels.
11.000 controllers were relentlessly fired. No mercy was shown until president Clinton permitted the rehiring of some. Gradually a new generation of controllers were hired and trained. A new union was formed and the funny thing is that nearly all demands which were refused to the PATCO union were, over the years and by negotiation, granted to the new NATCA union. Under the Bush administration it came to clashes again, but no strikes, the FAA claiming that controllers earned more than $ 200K.
1981 saw the first application of flow control on a massive scale. It led to the creation of the US Command Centre at Herndon which regulates all traffic ATC-wise in the US, later followed by the Brussels based CFMU in Europe.
In his message ATC-watcher concludes:
Totally different in Spain today.
Of course there are differences, after all it's almost 30 years later. But there are similarities as well:
The PATCO Union isolated itself from the American public and did not get much sympathy. The Spanish controllers now need police protection to go to work. I read in one of the posts that they did not participate in the general strike a few weeks ago. Like PATCO they thought they could win in isolation. Both overstretched their luck.
A few posts hint at international solidarity among controllers. I wouldn't be so sure. Heavy traffic is reported
around Spain, which must have been organised/permitted by neighbouring controllers. International solidarity was not organised for the US controllers in 1981 either. IFATCA organised a European meeting where this was discussed but they came not any further than writing a nasty letter. There was only one IFATCA member-country in favour of real action.
I sincerely hope that the fate of the Spanish controllers remains different from the PATCO colleagues. They should come to senses and seek an honorable way out, recognizing the economically difficult situation of their country.