Namibia ATC
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Africa
As 747 says, its probably not a bad thing for some ppl to blow off some steam here. I dont think that there is any purpose in attacking each other personally, but it is good for others to know what the conditions that we have to work under are like.
It makes me really sad when people use this platform (or any platform for that matter) to insult each other or group certain colleagues together in a bad light. There is no point in doing that and it simply will not make the system any better. Lets try to grab the challenges by the horns, and create something positive out of all this. If the ATC's stand together, and put their foot down and say that enough is enough, then management is bound to take note. We are blessed with a compitent and sympathetic Minister at the top. Unfortunately many management staff below him do not show the same vision as he does, and hamper his effort in making our working conditions any better. As do some of our administrative support sections. (yes i know they also face challenges)
I think that its fair to say that most ATC's who are still remaining in this system are here for the love of their jobs and this country. If money was the motivating factor, we simply wouldn't still be here.
I also think that its high time that management take note of our working conditions and make genuine efforts to imrove our situation. Please take note that I'm not only talking about money here. It is very frustrating when OT payments are late or when retroactive allowances are not paid for 6 months etc. Why should I sit at work on weekends worrying about bills that i cannot pay? Or why should I spend the little off time that I have generating extra income so that I can pay my bills?
While on shift recently I received a call from my bank informing me that my home-loan payment has not been received by the bank. This payment is directly deducted from my salary and paid to the bank by my salary section. This put me in a situation where I had to find extra money until I was refunded. When I queried the situation, I was told, with a shrug of the shoulders, that it was the fault of the new system which they work with that causes these problems. There was also no way for me to detect this beforehand as no payslips were received because the machine printing them was broken. Fact is that my credit record at the bank has now been affected by this.
Its these little things that add up and cause endless frustration amongst ATC's. Add them to the extra hours that we are expected to put in due to staff shortage, and you have the results as demostrated by the above posts.
If we lose even only one or two of the six ATC's who are currently negotiating for other jobs, we have a huge problem. In fact we already have a huge problem. What makes the pill even more bitter to swallow, is that we have foreseen this problem years in advance. Numerous meetings were held to discuss the staff shortage, on various levels, yet it all fell on deaf ears. Several safety audits held during the past few years have identified the staff shortage as an area of serious concern. Yet nothing was done. Now, rumour has it, that contract positions will be advertised, offering higher salaries than we earn now. Hopefully someone will have the whisdom as to not insult us to such an extent.
EISHHHHH.....
PS: Voel, any birdies whisper anything in your ears re contract positions? What is the progress on the NCAA?
It makes me really sad when people use this platform (or any platform for that matter) to insult each other or group certain colleagues together in a bad light. There is no point in doing that and it simply will not make the system any better. Lets try to grab the challenges by the horns, and create something positive out of all this. If the ATC's stand together, and put their foot down and say that enough is enough, then management is bound to take note. We are blessed with a compitent and sympathetic Minister at the top. Unfortunately many management staff below him do not show the same vision as he does, and hamper his effort in making our working conditions any better. As do some of our administrative support sections. (yes i know they also face challenges)
I think that its fair to say that most ATC's who are still remaining in this system are here for the love of their jobs and this country. If money was the motivating factor, we simply wouldn't still be here.
I also think that its high time that management take note of our working conditions and make genuine efforts to imrove our situation. Please take note that I'm not only talking about money here. It is very frustrating when OT payments are late or when retroactive allowances are not paid for 6 months etc. Why should I sit at work on weekends worrying about bills that i cannot pay? Or why should I spend the little off time that I have generating extra income so that I can pay my bills?
While on shift recently I received a call from my bank informing me that my home-loan payment has not been received by the bank. This payment is directly deducted from my salary and paid to the bank by my salary section. This put me in a situation where I had to find extra money until I was refunded. When I queried the situation, I was told, with a shrug of the shoulders, that it was the fault of the new system which they work with that causes these problems. There was also no way for me to detect this beforehand as no payslips were received because the machine printing them was broken. Fact is that my credit record at the bank has now been affected by this.
Its these little things that add up and cause endless frustration amongst ATC's. Add them to the extra hours that we are expected to put in due to staff shortage, and you have the results as demostrated by the above posts.
If we lose even only one or two of the six ATC's who are currently negotiating for other jobs, we have a huge problem. In fact we already have a huge problem. What makes the pill even more bitter to swallow, is that we have foreseen this problem years in advance. Numerous meetings were held to discuss the staff shortage, on various levels, yet it all fell on deaf ears. Several safety audits held during the past few years have identified the staff shortage as an area of serious concern. Yet nothing was done. Now, rumour has it, that contract positions will be advertised, offering higher salaries than we earn now. Hopefully someone will have the whisdom as to not insult us to such an extent.
EISHHHHH.....
PS: Voel, any birdies whisper anything in your ears re contract positions? What is the progress on the NCAA?
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: namibia
Hi BIVO!
Your reply is very true, please just don't attck the guys that are leaving.
Checkouts are a joke; NO medical; NO endorsment; NO management; unreliable payments of salary and OT; NO just culture; NO ethics; corruption; etc.
And you call the MOVERS "rotten apples".....
The sh..t in this country is peanuts compared to the rest of Africa. (ZIM... crime in SA, etc.)
And nobody may say anything....
ROTTEN APPLE in your face!
Your reply is very true, please just don't attck the guys that are leaving.
Checkouts are a joke; NO medical; NO endorsment; NO management; unreliable payments of salary and OT; NO just culture; NO ethics; corruption; etc.
And you call the MOVERS "rotten apples".....
The sh..t in this country is peanuts compared to the rest of Africa. (ZIM... crime in SA, etc.)
And nobody may say anything....
ROTTEN APPLE in your face!
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: WINDHOEK
atc namibia
Well, reading all this on namibia, sounds more like the work of the germans currently working in namibia. None of them give credit to the nam-gov. The minister is hard at work making the airspace safe and all u hear is the salaries are not good. I think its time that they realise this is not they country and pack their bags and go back to Europe. if they think South Africa is the answer than i,ve got news for them, that is also a black country and the chances of them making it there are very bleak!!!!! As far as i know the only good controller is a dead one or one who retired, they should stop calling themselves good controllers( just look at the V5KLB saga). By the way knowing or sleeping with a pilot does not make u a good controller.Call it but what u want (maybe racism) but thats the truth. Get out whille u are still tollerated. I did it and I am HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: WINDHOEK
nam atc
atc namibia --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Well, reading all this on namibia, sounds more like the work of the germans currently working in namibia. None of them give credit to the nam-gov. The minister is hard at work making the airspace safe and all u hear is the salaries are not good. I think its time that they realise this is not they country and pack their bags and go back to Europe. if they think South Africa is the answer than i,ve got news for them, that is also a black country and the chances of them making it there are very bleak!!!!! As far as i know the only good controller is a dead one or one who retired, they should stop calling themselves good controllers( just look at the V5KLB saga). By the way knowing or sleeping with a pilot does not make u a good controller.Call it but what u want (maybe racism) but thats the truth. Get out whille u are still tollerated. I did it and I am HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: namibia
OOPS !!!!
This thing just became racist... Funny how those claiming that other's are racist mostly are themselves.
New to this site JAR? You should post replies on the thread u're reading and not on ATC humour like you did at first. Although it is kinda funny. Anyway, enjoy nightshift. Dont miss any calls.
Bye bye
This thing just became racist... Funny how those claiming that other's are racist mostly are themselves.
New to this site JAR? You should post replies on the thread u're reading and not on ATC humour like you did at first. Although it is kinda funny. Anyway, enjoy nightshift. Dont miss any calls.
Bye bye
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere
I think its time that they realise this is not they country and pack their bags and go back to Europe.......Get out whille u are still tollerated. I did it and I am HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bet there a alot of whites working in africa, who are born in africa and proud to be african and yet attitudes like that will be bring a country to its knees! We need each other no matter what your colour and that ZAR004 is the reason why there is brain drain happening in africa. People are sick of this attitude! don't blame the old regime.
Look very carefully at yourself, would you like to pack up your bags and maybe go to your country of birth if your not 100% namibian yourself then?
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: space
sounds more like the work of the germans currently working in namibia
I think its time that they realise this is not they country and pack their bags and go back to Europe.
As far as i know the only good controller is a dead one or one who retired, they should stop calling themselves good controllers( just look at the V5KLB saga). By the way knowing or sleeping with a pilot does not make u a good controller.Call it but what u want (maybe racism) but thats the truth. Get out whille u are still tollerated. I did it and I am HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You attitude is more dangerous and Minister Kaapanda should see the real reason why the "europeans" are leaving. Cause know we now for a fact the way you feel about your none african collegues even if they were born and grew up in namibia and only have namibian passports!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 975
Likes: 0
From: The frequency jungle
None of them give credit to the nam-gov. The minister is hard at work making the airspace safe and all u hear is the salaries are not good. I think its time that they realise this is not they country and pack their bags and go back to Europe.
If the minister worked so hard to get the airspace safe, why then is it in this sad state of affairs? Its been in Swapo's hands since 1991 and where has it gone since? Is that also the Germans' fault? Are they the ATCOs working without licenses or the ones who had the midair just to the north of WHV and nothing ever came of it? I think not.
And I seriously doubt we'll hear of ZAR004 again. Recently joined and never to post again......unless under a new pseudonym perhaps.
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: home
Namatca
This is now floating around...
WC looks like you have a matter on hand
NAMATCA strongly condemns the recent allegations made in the media by a junior controller on the safety of the Namibia Airspace. The allegations made are void of any truth and serve only as sensationalize propaganda from a disgruntled person.
Please note that this controller is known and NAMATCA is currently in negotiations with relevant government organs in the ministry to address this issue on suitable disciplinary that will be taken against this controller. These allegations not only tarnish the international image of the country but have a severe effect on the economy of the country.
Although NAMATCA acknowledges and respects the right of freedom of speech, it also has its limitations the moment it stands as a threat to the rights of others, in this case the Namibian nation as a whole. The Namibian economy strongly relies on tourism which is served mainly through our airspace, as most of our tourists are from Europe and make use of air travel. The allegations made on this website (www.pprune.com) clearly indicate that this controller has no regard for the integrity of this country’s hard earned independence but disturbingly shows this controller is a great threat to aviation safety in Namibia.
NAMATCA thus urged its members, as well as none members, to refrain from such action actions and to consult the relevant officers appointed in the ministry to address any grievances through the proper channels. If any public statements must be made concerning Namibian air space it will be done so with the blessing from the Minister
From the President of the Namibian Air traffic Controllers Association
Very nice!
WC looks like you have a matter on hand
To all Namibian Air traffic Controllers
13 October 2007
NAMATCA strongly condemns the recent allegations made in the media by a junior controller on the safety of the Namibia Airspace. The allegations made are void of any truth and serve only as sensationalize propaganda from a disgruntled person.
Please note that this controller is known and NAMATCA is currently in negotiations with relevant government organs in the ministry to address this issue on suitable disciplinary that will be taken against this controller. These allegations not only tarnish the international image of the country but have a severe effect on the economy of the country.
Although NAMATCA acknowledges and respects the right of freedom of speech, it also has its limitations the moment it stands as a threat to the rights of others, in this case the Namibian nation as a whole. The Namibian economy strongly relies on tourism which is served mainly through our airspace, as most of our tourists are from Europe and make use of air travel. The allegations made on this website (www.pprune.com) clearly indicate that this controller has no regard for the integrity of this country’s hard earned independence but disturbingly shows this controller is a great threat to aviation safety in Namibia.
NAMATCA thus urged its members, as well as none members, to refrain from such action actions and to consult the relevant officers appointed in the ministry to address any grievances through the proper channels. If any public statements must be made concerning Namibian air space it will be done so with the blessing from the Minister
From the President of the Namibian Air traffic Controllers Association
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: namibia
This is so typical!
The DCA is falling appart and somebody in NAMATCA has a total disregard towards the profession and the issue at hand. Instead of talking to the Minister about the problems and challanges, they would rather play the blame-game.
Nothing has changed since the board of inquery published their report in the mid 1990s and nothing will.
The DCA is falling appart and somebody in NAMATCA has a total disregard towards the profession and the issue at hand. Instead of talking to the Minister about the problems and challanges, they would rather play the blame-game.
Nothing has changed since the board of inquery published their report in the mid 1990s and nothing will.
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: space
as they say...
by reading the ZAR-saga looks like ZAR blames the old regime for if it doesn't rain and if it rains he blames them any way ......
hey rawitact... the statement is is s
t.... is NAMATCA afraid of the truth??? wait for the big bang .. again.. and then lets see how they explain that one
hey rawitact... the statement is is s
t.... is NAMATCA afraid of the truth??? wait for the big bang .. again.. and then lets see how they explain that one