Muppit
Re the trainee LPO’s incident – I am informed by friends at LHR that there have been a few incidents of this sort going back to 1993 – not sure which incident you refer to, but I do not doubt that it was genuine. And re the LCE payments for ATSAs – again, I am reliably informed that LHR ATSA2s do not receive, and have never received, any form of supplementary payments for on-site training of new ATSAs, and until recently, never received any officially recognised training to allow them to undertake the task in the first place. Compare this with the ATCO arrangement – LCEs are paid a supplement for their task (as are OJTIs). So why not the ATSAs? Maybe its down to the bargaining power of the ATCO grades and their Union? Or maybe its just the same old story - one rule for them, and one for us!
With regard to the licensing issue, it would certainly help our situation if the ATCO grades were to actually voice any support they might have for us at local and Union level. If they object, perhaps they would like to tell us why?
Any comments from the ATCO boys and girls at the NATS Aerodromes?
Flight Data
Pleased to see that IFPS seems to acknowledge (at least) that a licensing system may be beneficial. I hope that the “interesting” reshuffle has not resulted in a difference of opinion with the “shopfloor workforce” on the licensing issue.