Belgian ATCO's work for free!

[EBBU]

Today, the belgian ATCO's came up with a very creative kind of industrial action. Every controller worked for free for one hour! (one hour for the morning shift and one hour for the afternoon shift)

This action was taken to get some attention for the problems that have been going on for several years (up to 10 years already). The aim of this action was to get the political powers to notice what is going on and to acknowledge the concerns. Hopefully they will come to the table and talk about what is going on.

'Working for free' was the chosen action to underline that the concerns are NOT money related and to show that the ATCO's realise their responsibility in today's economical climate. There were no adverse effects for the airlines or passengers. Service was never interrupted.

Let's hope that today's action will be enough...

[Chilli Monster]

There were no adverse effects for the airlines or passengers. Service was never interrupted.................and nobody will have noticed what you've have done or that there is a problem. The tears of laughter must be rolling down your managements face.

You need to take lesons from the French ;)

[EBBU]

................and nobody will have noticed what you've have done or that there is a problem. The tears of laughter must be rolling down your managements face.


At least we have tried everything to get a response from management without doing serious damage to the companies. Now nobody can say we behaved irresponsably.
Now the responsibity lies with management. If nothing moves then we might have to take a page out of the french handbook.... :)

[Nightrider]

Good luck guys, your service is impeccable, so should be your treatment!

[SINGAPURCANAC]

@Belgian colleagues,
Wrong snake at wrong head!
If you need attention those days. Industrial action should start five minutes before Gasprom delegation enters your airspace. :E
everyone will be aware!

[throw a dyce]

EBBU,
It's so creative that it isn't industrial action.Industrial action is a measure to reduce productivity in the workplace.Working for nothing seems to be increasing productivity.:confused:
Management must be wanting you to take this action a lot more often.:rolleyes:

[EBBU]

The aim of this action was to get noticed. The next few days will tell if it worked....
We are trying to be heard without causing damage to an already fragile industry by any means possible. I think that the airlines, pilots and passengers appreciate this kind of action more than let's say, closing down the Belgocontrol airspace.

But if push comes to shove and no dialogue is started we will have to do something else to get heard. And if that is a more conventional form of 'industrial action' then at least we have shown all the stakeholders that we tried to resolve the situation another way... (i.e. without hurting the aviation industry).
We won't apologise for trying everything possible to avoid a conventional strike.

[max1]

Well done Belgian controllers, you are playing the 'long game' if this does escalate it is the type of quirky action the media love.
It will be referred to in every story. Belgian controllers worked for free to try to highlight their concerns and now they are doing X......
I hope you get a result.

[deci]

Will Tv networks cover the story? I hope so..
(in Italy would be impossible...:bored:)

Good Luck to belgian collegues!:ok:

[Someone_Else]

I'm sorry, I don't understand how this could make your company do anything. You've worked 1 hr longer without pay, how will this upset the bosses?

[anotherthing]

If you read the post properly, the point wasn't to 'upset the bosses'.

What it has done is stolen the moral high ground from the bosses. Bosses will always talk about the greed of a relatively well paid workforce (e.g. ATCO's).

This action may well have taken the managements option of using the media to taint public opinion away from them.

At the end of the day, it could be a very clever move - and it's certainly proved to management that the ATCOs are united - can anyone in the UK see NATS ATCOs having the balls and unity to stand togeter like that?

Thought not.

[BigDaddyBoxMeal]

At the end of the day, it could be a very clever move - and it's certainly proved to management that the ATCOs are united - can anyone in the UK see NATS ATCOs having the balls and unity to stand togeter like that?


Perhaps because NATS ATCOs talk a lot on pprune and a bit less in front of management ?

Big Daddy

[Fly Through]

:D Well done to you for actually coming together to do something, it's something NATS ATCOs don't seem to be able to do. Hope you get the result you're hoping for.

Hmmmm wonder what it would take for NATS controllers to strike........

[Lon More]

Well done EBBU and colleagues. Brilliant PR

Interesting that most of the nay-sayers seem to be from the South of the UK. The same group that bitches on public threads about banding, tumbling share prices and their protected pensions when they have a private thread for this (plenty of fuel there for the lurking journos)? Also the same group of "professionals" who did everything possible to break the ATCAs action a number of years ago?

[anotherthing]

Lon More -

I think you will find that people who 'bitch' as you so eloquently put it, about Banding, are not from the south of england...

I, being someone who does work for NATS in the south of england, have stated that I think it is possibly a good move by the Belgians.

As for keeping things in NATS own forum, NATS is the biggest ATC employer in the UK and has the largest area unit in Europe. Many of the issues discussed on the public ATC forum are kept there because Ts &Cs at NATS are possibly of interest to other would be employees in the UK, and even possibly ATC staff who are looking to move to the UK.

The bitching can be embarrasing, but there are some good nuggets of info about life within NATS contained within the threads. Threads I might add that you have contributed to yourself numerous times!

[BravoMike]

Hi,

Just to inform you about the result of the action...

Not only were we an item in the 6 and 7 oclock NEWS of the national TV, also an interview with a representative of the staff + a representative of the union on national radio. + several articles in national newspapers

We even have a meeting with the minister of transport end of this week!

So positive actions DO work !

Hopefully the rest will follow now, so we don't have to do any real industrial actions !

Greetings
M.B.

[Lon More]

OK, so the banding bit was below the belt - but you have to give me the share options and pensions bit. :(

BM essentially keeping the actions in house where management is the only one hit is the way to go Good Luck

[PeltonLevel]

Hmmmm wonder what it would take for NATS controllers to strike....
Hmmmm wonder what it would take to get NATS controllers to work extra hours for nothing....

[anotherthing]

Lon More

No argument there about the bitching over pensions and the shares - I still think the pensions is pretty pertinent for people outside NATS to see though :ok:

PeltonLevel

Hmmmm wonder what it would take to get NATS controllers to work extra hours for nothing....

Or how about anyone in NATS workng for nothing? Not just ATCOs!!

[flowman]

EBUU, what is it you are trying to resolve? I think this sort of positive action is a great idea, as you say, why punish the customers? But if your objective is to get noticed, why not tell us Ppruners what the problems are?
We have Greek strikes, French strikes and Italian strikes regularly, so regularly sometimes that they are just a procedure to be gone through for us and nobody seems to take any notice any more.
So good for you guys for trying something different, and good luck.:ok:

[matsATC]

EBUU, what is it you are trying to resolve?

Try this link: http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/355376-belgocontrol.html

[flowman]

Thanks mats. Hmmm, sound like someones being paid for something they are not doing. Politics as well, that's always a 'king disaster.

[MNT]

Lots of NATS Non ATCO staff already do work extra hours for no pay like engineers and those at CTC who are described as a waste of space by some:ok:

[anotherthing]

MNT

I know they do - I was however hoping Pelton Level would reply.

Lots of ATCOs do extra sectors for no money - although it doesn't include extra working hours as that is constrained by law, it does mean more bookwork, more annual exams, less early go's (I know, a perk not a right), less comfortable night shifts... no extra money, but without it, the centres would not run, at least not without a huge increase in overhead.

It is easier to recognise the office bods who (regularly) work over their contracted hours to help the company, as extra sectors etc are contained within the normal working hours. I think nowadays, NATS sees people doing extra work for the company for no reward as a norm and expects it from people - exploiting, to a degree, the pride people have in doing their job.

However, the Belgians have, it seems, played a very clever card. I hope they resolve the issues to their satisfaction :ok:

[PeltonLevel]

Staff in middle ranking grades outside ATC (STAR 1&2, MSG 1&2, ATCE 1&2 - I don't know about ATC T&S) all give up the right to paid overtime when they take promotions to that level. In theory, they are entitled to plain time off in lieu of any excess hours, but the opportunities are not always available to take it. Unlike operators, their job doesn't go away when they walk away from their workstations!

[max1]

I assume it would be worldwide, but when you go 'off the tools' for a period to work in training, procedures/simulator development,etc it is a given that you will work some extra hours for free.
It is swings and roundabouts. When in the centre you work your rostered hours and get paid for any additional hours. You work 24/7 shiftwork and you must work your rostered shifts.
Out the back you may have nominal shifts but you can turn these into 'florist' shifts ( i.e. you make your own arrangements) work on your RDO and have a day off somewhere else if you wish. You are expected to complete the work, if this entails you having to work a 10-12 hour day to fit into what else is happening so be it, and you MAY get the time back somewhere else.
If you are training someone and this entails you having to start earlier to prepare the simulator and stay back later to debrief the trainee, so be it.

Being ATC, we always seem to think the grass is greener elsewhere. Some of those out the back believe it is easier to just to work the rostered shifts in the room, whilst some of those in the room are jealous of the non 24/7 florists. Having worked both it is six of one, half a dozen of the other. The best way is to make sure you don't spend too long 'out the back' and lose sight of what ATC is about. The longer you are away from the console the easier you remember the 'real' job as being.

You run into problems when you get people who have been years away from controlling who come up with 'great ideas' on paper that will never work in the real world.

Sorry about the thread drift. Good luck to the Belgians.

[anotherthing]

Pelton

I know all that thanks - the fact stands that people feel they have to work extra hours to complete the tasks they are given... NATS exploits this 'willingness' or 'sense of duty'.

It is the similar to the expectation that NATS management has of people doing extra sectors etc above and beyond contractural requirements :ok: