Regrading at Swangatte
There is a move afoot to re-grade the operational controller job to ATCO 1. The task at Swanwick consists of all the previous LATCC sector controller job description plus the major portion of the LATCC chief sector controller job description, which of course was done by an ATCO1. The benefits are recognised as being a reversal of the drift out of the OPS room, and the re-introduction of an identifiable career structure advancement plan. Although there have been back door promotions, where VN's have actually been re-written to fit the pre-selected candidate, and a number of made-up acting ATCO 1's from the LATCC move, there has been no promotion "proper" for some considerable time. This is a sensible policy which negates the need for peculiar bonus and short term quickfix solutions; after all, if you are going to have to spend your life working at the screens at least there will be the incentive of a continuous incremental scale that reflects our core business.