Aus ATC: We are Sorry

[I Am ATC]

I am ATC: and I am sorry.

I am sorry we can not provide the service you expect and should have.

I am sorry you can not get a word in on many of the frequencies these days (G airspace and the Flight Information Service has been combined on to the active control frequencies, sectors have been grouped)

I am sorry you have been told there is no staffing issues with ATC : I am sorry you have been misled in to thinking there is an industrial campaign by the phoney campaign and rumours created to shift blame from poor decisions made by management. I am sorry that the fact that ATC indeed signed a new contract last month for the next three years without any dispute has not been mentioned to you by these same people.

I am sorry you have been promised on several occassions that technology will fix the delays you incur every day, but it has not happened.

I am sorry that you have been promised that the ongoing reorganisation of Airservices, and the resectorisation of the airspace will reduce your delays.

I am sorry that you are subject to constant spin and disinformation, such as the latest interview in Australian Aviation by the latest CEO.

I am sorry that your airways charges go to constantly paying out compensation to employees that have been victimised and threatened.

I am sorry that your airways charges go to funding court action in the FWA which Airservices inevitably lose and this then costs you more.

I am sorry that so many experienced ATC's left to work overseas and this has had such a detrimental effect on the service we can provide you.

I am sorry that the number of employees in Airservices that you pay for has ballooned over the past few years, but the number of (real) ATC's has dwindled every year despite large increases in traffic.

I am sorry that we may sound tired or cranky, and that you are not aware of the amount of overtime the person on the other end of the microphone is working (Up to 25% extra per week). I am sorry that you may not be aware Airservices intimidate and coerce individual controllers to work on their days off, and have taken action through FWA to force controllers to work overtime. I am sorry that despite all this overtime they still then tell you there is not an ATC shortage.

I am sorry that so many of these employees are new managers whose salary and tenure rely on towing the party line and not providing honest information to their superiors. I am sorry that many of these managers used to be ATC's but took contracts under the Howard era AWA's - thus losing their ability to any longer help with actually controlling traffic.

I am sorry that Airservices no longer tells you via NOTAM when there is a combined sector or a reduced service due staffing - simply to avoid embarrassment.

I am sorry that those now running ATC have little or no operational experience and do not understand the risks they sign off on every day.

I am sorry that we all have to endure a disinterested Minister in all of these matters.

I am especially sorry to tell you that it looks like little is going to change under the 'new management'.

You deserve better.

You should demand better.

ATC's are on your side, and are as frustrated as you about their ability to provide the best service.

I Am ATC - I am sorry.