Spain ATC June 2015 strike

[Summerishere]

Not really being covered in the UK press (ok, the Mail...) but do we know if this will actually happen or whether the parties are even trying to resolve this?

[jmmoric]

They'll be transfeered to the Air Force and subsequently shot for desertion :E

[Sonnendec]

Hi,

Today our union and the company are having the last meeting regarding the partial strike set for next week. It´s really the last chance to get to an agreement before it happens, so we´ll know as soon as they get out of that meeting whether the strike takes place or not. Let´s just hope for the best :)

[Lord Spandex Masher]

The best for who? The travelling public or you? I'm pretty certain they aren't the same thing.

[manusa]

The best for who? The travelling public or you? I'm pretty certain they aren't the same thing.

The best for worker's rights, I guess. What Enaire has done makes no sense at all. :=

[Denti]

Didn't the last larger industrial action by spanish ATCOs ended with people holding guns standing behind them at work?

[RustyNail]

I hope the controllers reach an agreement, it sounds like our brothers and sisters in Spain have been screwed over pretty bad over the years :eek:

Flying to Spain next week to play in a rugby tournament, hopefully wont have to take a bus :ok:

[LTNman]

Lets hope that some French ATC staff going away on holiday get their flights cancelled.

[manusa]

Didn't the last larger industrial action by spanish ATCOs ended with people holding guns standing behind them at work?

I don't know how the last one ended, I wasn't born when it took place.

[Nimmer]

I admire people standing up for their rights, it's a lot better than keeping your powder dry for 30 years!!!

[GAPSTER]

Need to rein it in a bit Spandex...don't let your grievances with what happens there(historical or otherwise) blinker you to what's being done to individuals.All cleared in court of any offence but either suspended without pay or fired by the dictatorship they work for.Consider the support you would like and get if you were in that position.

[Lord Spandex Masher]

No, I'm not sure I do. The timing of this strike is cynical and is solely designed to disrupt the maximum amount of holidays possible.

I'm all for standing up for yourself but if you want sympathy and solidarity try not to :mad: over everybody else while you do it.

[Not Long Now]

So the point of holding a strike at a time when nobody would notice would be what, exactly?

[kick the tires]

I hope the controllers reach an agreement, it sounds like our brothers and sisters in Spain have been screwed over pretty bad over the years

yes indeed, the local Porsche garages are up in arms now that the controllers are not getting paid 3 times pay for the overtime they do when they are meant to be off.

[Lord Spandex Masher]

So the point of holding a strike at a time when nobody would notice would be what, exactly?

Well, none. Why are you asking?

[blissbak]

What are the strike reasons?

[GAPSTER]

Take a look at this for the history and lay off the cheap cracks.Spain hasn't been a great advert for the profession on occasion but get some education about the real facts of the situation.

https://www.facebook.com/TradeUnionEurocontrolMaastricht/posts/403775916474575

[EastofKoksy]

Having worked in Spain in the past few years it seems to me that industrial relations in ATC are broken.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My personal views not those of my employer

[manusa]

It seems that the minimum services have been strategically assigned so that almost 100% of active ATCOs are working...
Eurocontrol not expecting significant delays.

[Una Due Tfc]

6 days on, 2 off, the first of which is the day they come off nights....yeah I'm 100% behind them on this one

[jmmoric]

Isn't there a EU regulation saying a day off is at least 24 hours +11 hours? Which can be reduced to 8 hours, so to get two consecutive days off it has to be at least 48 + 8 hours (or 11 depending on circumstances)?

What's the weekly workingtime for an ATCO in Spain? And how much overtime do they put in versus how are they paid (extra) for having to work in their time off?

There are a lot of factors that can be at play in a strike condition, and when people strike, it's usually from fatigue, stress, overload and a situation where they feel noone listens to their concerns (not complaints, but concerns, if concerns doesn't gets taken care off, they evolve to complaints, and letting them evolve is poor management, and even worse management is crying about your workforce when it has been allowed to evolve).

But noone want to hurt innocent bystanders, passengers, by striking, but what the heck do they do when noone listens? Controllers take their work serious, and usually don't stay at home to rest when they are assigned a shift.

[Lord Spandex Masher]

6 days on, 2 off, the first of which is the day they come off nights....yeah I'm 100% behind them on this one

They weren't so worried when they were coining all the overtime were they?

[pilotnik]

Take a look at this for the history and lay off the cheap cracks.Spain hasn't been a great advert for the profession on occasion but get some education about the real facts of the situation.

https://www.facebook.com/TradeUnionEurocontrolMaastricht/posts/403775916474575

So isn't it true that Spanish ATCOs took sick-leaves on massive scale, a state of emergency was declared to force them back to work and those who opposed were subject to consequences and a trial?

[manusa]

As far as I know, the reason for this strike in particular has nothing to do with their hours or salary, but with Enaire taking disciplinary measures against ATCOs for the airspace closing back in 2010.

[Una Due Tfc]

They weren't so worried when they were coining all the overtime were they?

I'm sure they weren't, but the days of ATCOs earning 7 figures salaries in Spain are long gone. All the ones who did saw what was coming and jumped ship before their pensions and t&cs changed. The new controllers are on some of the lowest salaries in Europe now, which wouldn't be so bad except they also work savage hours now with f all leave. We all know they're regarded by pilots as the worst in Europe, how do you think they'll be with all this added fatigue? It's your life in their hands after all.....

[eagleflyer]

Although it is not the regular schedule it is legal and backed up by our union contract (DFS) to have 48hrs off only coming out of the night shift after a 6-day-turn. It doesn´t happen very often and if anyone has a serious problem with it the issue will normally be solved somehow. It´s all a matter of give and take...if you tend to get your four-week holiday in summer you will normally be willing to help out with a short weekend too.

As for the strike: I also fully understand and support the actions of my Spanish colleagues. As far as I was informed the strike is all about supporting one or more individuals who still face disciplinary action by AENA´s successor although a Spanish court has recently ruled the ATCOs did not do anything wrong in the last confrontation.

[ZOOKER]

If 6 on, 2 off, (the first of which is a 'sleep-day) is their roster, I'm 100% with Una.
One full day off in 8 is not acceptable for operational ATC staff.

[Evanelpus]

As far as I know, the reason for this strike in particular has nothing to do with their hours or salary, but with Enaire taking disciplinary measures against ATCOs for the airspace closing back in 2010.

Blimey, they bear a grudge for a long time, don't they!

Now, look here all you lovely Spanish ATC peeps. Me and Mrs Elpus are on the early morning Easyjet Luton to Alicante flight next Thursday (17th) and we'd be terribly grateful if you don't take any action on that day.

Adios amigo.

[manusa]

To clarify, I'm not an ATCO myself and I don't claim perfect knowledge about the real inside situation at Enaire.
Just my opinions based on all the available information I've seen so far :rolleyes:

[LostThePicture]

Don't feed the trolls... they might bite

[Lssar]

For your reading pleasure:

http://www.atceuc.org/uploads/docs/2015-06-08-atceuc-communication-on-usca-june-2015-strike.pdf

[cresslime]

https://www.thespainreport.com/16649/spanish-air-traffic-controllers-non-strike-strike/

[Satellite Man]

There havent been any real dialogue for 6 years

[Braun]

We can work up to 9-1 all year obviously with OT but the employer cannot assign it. Only if we request. 6-2 is a pretty horrible base schedule.

[Daermon ATC]

It seems we are going to strike again... or at least try to.

11 & 25 July: 10:00 - 13:00 (local time)
12 & 26 July: 17:00 - 20:00


The reason for the strike is exactly the same as the one before, wrongful sanctions against 61 controllers and requesting re-hire another one. Both issues stem from the conflict from 2010 which is pretty much alive, thank you very much.

This time the strike is planned on weekend unlike the previous one which was intended to be a low intensity warning with minimum harm to both passengers and companies.

Not that this one is intended to be disruptive but rather a rematch on the previous one since we got minimum services close to 100% (officially it was 70% but only non-operative atcos where allowed to join the strike). If the government sticks to the 70% figure there should be some delays and if they increase that it will be a welcome admission that they abused minimum services requirements when we get to challenge them in court.

[Nightstop]

Ryanair petition here to make ATC strikes illegal:


Keep Europe's Skies Open - Keep Europe Flying (http://www.keepeuropesskiesopen.com/)

[cresslime]

It will be better to tidy up his own home: Ryanair's Danish staff may strike over Irish pay - RTÉ News (http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2015/0701/712026-ryanairs-denmark-court/)

[Lord Spandex Masher]

Not that this one is intended to be disruptive

Oh, come on!

[kcockayne]

A bit drastic, but I can appreciate RYR's point of view & sympathize with pax. So,
an understandable suggestion.
However, "letting other ATC agencies manage French airspace during strikes"is a
non-starter. How are you going to get ATCOS validated, & maintain that validation, on French ATC sectors ?

[zonoma]

In the link above to the Ryanair organised petition, where is the "I don't agree" option? Surely in a democratic world both opinions should be gathered?

And to be pedantic, this thread is all about the Spanish ATC strike, which IMHO has huge backing of the ATC world, and not about the French repetitive strikes that the Ryanair petition relate to.

[Satellite Man]

Ryanair also wanted passengers to travel standing instead of seated.. flying is becoming so glamourous!!!! ;-)

In Spain it would be good to have a company and a government that actually listen and spend money on important things like the radios we work with or the air navigation aids instead of polishing the new marble floors or airport terminals... ahhhh.. forgot.. of course!!! it was some friend of some politician who provided that marble... right..