I don't believe that salary is the real issue. The strike against SES II is mainly against change that is essential if European ATM is to function as an efficient whole. Some years ago the Eurocontrol PRC (Performance Review Commission) did some benchmarking studies on a continental scale between European ATM as a whole and US ATM. These studies were repeated also at ACC level between comparable ACCs. In both cases they showed that the US was twice as efficient as Europe. Not because the US was super efficient (there were many improvements that could be made in the US) but because they did it on a large scale, in the same way across the whole continent, and thus achieved the commensurate economies of scale.
The SES II legislation is an attempt to achieve long overdue changes in Europe. But they are resisted by many governments and particularly by the French unions.
Last edited by Bergerie1; 10th Jun 2013 at 15:25.