Volunteers for move "oop north"

[45 before POL]

Nats management have emailed all ATCO's to find out who would be interested in a move to Manch and subsequently Prestwick.They are plugging this one as it appears on the plasma screen notice boards as well! Seeing as there are shortages in staff at other units, what has brought this about, has manchester got a mass exodus? :confused:

[lippiatt]

Some of the airspace currently being controlled from Swanwick will eventually end up being controlled from the Prestwick centre, therefore ATCOs who already hold the validations for that airspace at Swanwick will prove to be very useful Oop North for continuity.

[DTY/LKS]

Lippiat

Just out of interest, where did you hear that?

[Homo Simpson]

The management are now slowly realising that they have a major staff problem!
They have been warned repeatedly for years but they ignored us. Now they are screwed!
Oh and if sectors move from down South then bring on the band 5 then!

[9th Dan Vectors]

DTY/LKS

If Lippiat is right (which I doubt as it would be logistically difficult) I would think about swapping your validations for some South bank sectors as Lakes would be top of the list. Maybe Daventry and/or North Sea too?

The idea (before privatisation) of MACC going to Prestwick was to balance the 2 remaining centres out (and provide more jobs to Scotland). Moving sectors North would balance things out and if there'll always be a pay differential, the relocation costs would be more than offset over time with the salary savings.

Unless someone has personal issues regarding location on the South coast, I can't understand why anyone would take a reduction in salary and the associated move hassles (including loss of validations or extensive travel to retain validations) to do the same job (possibly easier, maybe harder). Good luck to anyone who fancies it.

If there are no takers, will NATS then force moves on people? After all we are a mobile grade and signed for that on Day 1!

[northernmonkey1261]

theyre short of staff, nothing more nothing less.
there is not a chance in hell that they have the forethought to be thinking about NERC validations moving north etc.
retirements, leavers, apathy, and a lack of pro prestwickites are slowly adding up
the move will still happen, but the delays and chaos will be huge, wonder if the airline group have been kept in the picture?

[notared]

45 Before. Have you been abroad for the last 4 or 5 years?

[45 before POL]

notared.. i am aware of the reluctance on the move to prestwick, by many of the staff at manch (atsa's and atco's), but as management normally bury their head in the sand until too late, I was just curious what has started to force their hand:hmm:

[atcowannabe]

Slightly off topic but along the same lines - I am starting Area stream at Hurn in July. Does all talked about above mean that successful Area bods for the next couple of course are more likely to be posted to Prestwick than Swanwick?

[Loxley]

Slightly off topic but along the same lines - I am starting Area stream at Hurn in July. Does all talked about above mean that successful Area bods for the next couple of course are more likely to be posted to Prestwick than Swanwick?

Who knows what weird and wonderful formula the college use to decide postings. From speaking to mates at Swanwick, they're still very short as well. I would hazard a guess that the majority would go Swanwick, with a good number going to Manchester before ultimately going to Prestwick. But I don't honestly think anyone would want to second guess the college posting policy. :)

[bigmansam]

Even though i am only going through the trainee interview process at the moment I've been told by someone who works at Manchester that they have all be offered redundancy.

Not sure what NATs have got planned.

[anotherthing]

Bigmansam

Either not an ATCO that told you that, or a liar - NATS are short of ATCOs - end of story