Thanks again for all the info Daermon, much appreciated!* I take it then, from your overall attitude, that you would be more than willing to escape abroad if the opportunity arose?
Hi OTG!
Actually, there are dozens Spanish ATCO´s willing to scape if the opportunity arises, count me for that too!
Many of us are actively searching for a job abroad (sending CV´s, emails, letters of interest ...), and believe me, the salary is not a crucial factor: in my case, my family is what matters, and I think things can only get worse in Spain (yesterday another 112.000 more unemployed were accounted for, now over 5.200.000).
Just wondering also, if FerroNATS fail to get enough transferring ATCOs from Aena and fail to poach enough ATCOs from NATS or wherever, could a similar overtime situation return?* (thus boosting overall salaries - and hours worked - of those remaining controllers brave enough to stick it out).* Or would those student cadets (unlucky enough not able to escape and get work elsewhere abroad) be trained in to fill the shortfall, regardless of their ability/performance?
Overtime, as it was until 2 years ago, is not possible any more due to the new laws that limit it to 80 hrs. a year. This is the same for all jobs in Spain, but in the case of ATCO´s, companies can force you to work overtime if it is necessary to guarantee the continuity of the service. When the training of new ATCO´s in Spain was privatized, the infamous former minister Mr. Blanco assured that one of his goals was to have hundreds of unemployed ATCO´s waiting in line to get a job. This is the current situation now, and it´s getting worse as more desperate cadets fight to get a job that would let them pay the debt caused by their training as ATCO´s in the new private schools. As Safety is no longer the main goal in our system (sadly, now it´s Productivity), you can expect companies hiring those cadets you mentioned, "regardless of their ability/performance" ...
As someone said before, wanna trade places ...?