Noise...
It’s funny (and sad) how the core issues of this debate have been drowned out by all kinds of nonsensical noise throughout the past few months. Considering the issues at hand, why does it matter how professional or unprofessional Spanish ATCOs are compared to ATCOs in other places? Why does it matter how much money they are earning? In this particular context I consider these to be non-issues.
It really surprises me how some people here get so incredibly hung up about how much money Spanish ATCOs used to earn, or are still earning. It’s not like the Spanish ATCOs were stealing the money from their employers. If anything, they successfully worked the system to their advantage to maximize their own benefits, but why blame them for that? Wouldn’t most people do the same? What’s unethical about getting the most out of your contract, as long as you are not breaking any laws, or consciously violating any other kinds of rules?
It seems to me as if AENA took the decision to grant high overtime pay and beneficial working conditions to the Spanish controllers in the past, and I guess they did that for a good reason (not enough staff, in need of OT, etc…). It’s supply and demand. Yes, perhaps the salaries of some controllers became outrageously high as a consequence of that, but how is that the ATCOs fault? Isn’t it rather a consequence of myopic management on behalf of AENA? Why should the controllers take such a severe beating for that now, and see themselves subjected to a sudden and what appears to be a disproportionately harsh increase of workload in conjunction with massive pay cuts? Simply because AENA noticed what fools they have been in the past, allowing for such benefits to take hold in the first place?
Then there are the comments on here how the ATCOs should just suck it up and get used to the kind of ****ty contracts and corporate treatment far too many people are unfortunately suffering in their jobs these days. How sad is that? What’s up with this “My life is ****, so your life should be **** too” attitude?
Personally, I know I wouldn’t be fit to work in an environment of constant coercion. Some of the facts that the Spanish ATCOs who have contributed to this discussion have shared here are simply appalling. (e.g. operational decisions being made by non-operational staff). For a controller this is the stuff nightmares are made of. It scares the **** out of me, and it upsets me because I know what corresponding operational risks and consequences are. Last but not least, it never ceases to astonish me how conceited yet at the same time ignorant to the complexities of the ATM system some of the contributors to this debate who have claimed to be professional pilots are. They may not notice it themselves, but it shows in a lot of their comments and statements.
It’s very unfortunate that it has come this far, but if only half of what has been shared about AENA’s regime is true, this is definitely NOT how an ATC operation in Western Europe should be run in the 21st century. I’m afraid it will be extremely tough to establish anything that resembles good will between the involved parties again. I’ll be transiting through Madrid in a couple of days myself, and am hoping for the best.