Spanish ATC
The French whether justified or not at least strike in the correct manner!
1973: Mid-air collision kills 68
Members of the French Civilian Air Controllers Association (SNCTA), have been on strike illegally since 20 February to gain improved pension benefits and obtain the right to strike which was outlawed for air traffic controllers in 1964.
Military air traffic controllers have been operating France's air control system since 26 February.
Military air traffic controllers have been operating France's air control system since 26 February.
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Chaos in Spain!
Lets make something clear first: this is not a simple strike: this is 99% of Spanish ATC simply not showing up for work or abandoning their shifts with a lame excuse that they are not feeling well. And all at the same time at the beginning of a 4-day Spanish holiday.
What a coincidence!
Spanish newspaper El Periodico, in its online edition, informs that about a hundred ATC workers of the Madrid area are currently meeting in a hotel near Barajas Airport, in a conference-room which had previously been reserved. That sounds like a premeditated and coordinated action to me.
That said, in previous months the Spanish ATC association had managed to express their views and concerns to the general public which, after all, usually suffers from their strikes. Informing the general public of their cause and explaining the need for their actions was a good thing, it actually brought a solution to their concerns a lot closer. I am the first to defend the right to strike, whether I agree with the workers' demands or not.
But what is happening right now in Spain, with 99% of Spanish airports closed due to a complete absence off ALL ATC personnel, the Spanish government urgently working to get ATC under military control and, last but certainly not least, 250,000+ stranded passengers and/or passengers who can forget about their 4-day holiday and lose lots of money as of result of that, is completely unacceptable, unjustified and very likely completely illegal.
The right to strike is undeniable; the right to leave your job over bogus reasons just to annoy as many people as possible does not exist and could perhaps even be considered a criminal act.
Well done spanish ATC; when it comes to improving your working conditions, you've just dug your own grave!
What a coincidence!
Spanish newspaper El Periodico, in its online edition, informs that about a hundred ATC workers of the Madrid area are currently meeting in a hotel near Barajas Airport, in a conference-room which had previously been reserved. That sounds like a premeditated and coordinated action to me.
That said, in previous months the Spanish ATC association had managed to express their views and concerns to the general public which, after all, usually suffers from their strikes. Informing the general public of their cause and explaining the need for their actions was a good thing, it actually brought a solution to their concerns a lot closer. I am the first to defend the right to strike, whether I agree with the workers' demands or not.
But what is happening right now in Spain, with 99% of Spanish airports closed due to a complete absence off ALL ATC personnel, the Spanish government urgently working to get ATC under military control and, last but certainly not least, 250,000+ stranded passengers and/or passengers who can forget about their 4-day holiday and lose lots of money as of result of that, is completely unacceptable, unjustified and very likely completely illegal.
The right to strike is undeniable; the right to leave your job over bogus reasons just to annoy as many people as possible does not exist and could perhaps even be considered a criminal act.
Well done spanish ATC; when it comes to improving your working conditions, you've just dug your own grave!
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Translation from www.aena.es (spanish airports)
Air traffic controllers en masse leave their jobs and disrupt air traffic in Spain
Posted on Friday, December 3, 2010 at 19:00
Due to massive neglect by air traffic controllers of their jobs, air traffic in Spain has been interrupted. Aena recommends that all passengers who do not go to airports and contact their airlines. We are unable to give more information because the restoration of service depends on the will of the air traffic controllers.
Also on this page: URGENT - Spanish airspace closed as controllers walk out (More soon) | Canaries News
Update 03/12/2010 – 21:30
Military ‘ready’ to take control of the airports
The Military are now ready to take control of the air traffic control towers in Spain to try and end the chaos in Spains airspace, although they hoping the current AENA controllers will return to their places of work
Air traffic controllers en masse leave their jobs and disrupt air traffic in Spain
Posted on Friday, December 3, 2010 at 19:00
Due to massive neglect by air traffic controllers of their jobs, air traffic in Spain has been interrupted. Aena recommends that all passengers who do not go to airports and contact their airlines. We are unable to give more information because the restoration of service depends on the will of the air traffic controllers.
Also on this page: URGENT - Spanish airspace closed as controllers walk out (More soon) | Canaries News
Update 03/12/2010 – 21:30
Military ‘ready’ to take control of the airports
The Military are now ready to take control of the air traffic control towers in Spain to try and end the chaos in Spains airspace, although they hoping the current AENA controllers will return to their places of work
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Barcelona, SPAIN
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Please forget everything you might have heard about sallaries. Sallaries were the first thing to go many months ago, and it is not what we are fighting for.
If you must know as an experienced approach controller at LECB I made 4300 EUR last month. Our last colleagues to join are making 2300 eur.
I love this job and if it was only an issue of money I'd consider myself happy. But it's not. We've gone from 1200 to upwards of 2000 hours. Management has decided unilaterally to increase traffic loads with absolutely no safety studies. We are enduring monthly rosters of 200 hours. When some of us folded to pressure (18 people had already been medically evacuated when I last asked in august) the goverment forced the medical inspection to turn down sick leaves. Colleagues of my have been working while still on anxiety medication, or decided to drop the treatment ot of fear of government retaliation.
Just culture has been completely obliterated, and recordings have been used arbitrarily to attack employees. We have been robbed of our holidays, and sick leaves have gone unpaid. They are losing trial after trial because the company is denying basic rights (leaves to attend small children). Even after having lost these trials the continue the practice (hopefully we will end up having an obvious case of mobbing)
With today's decree it is the fourth time this year that legislation has been passed specifically to change our terms and conditions, collective negotiation be damned.
And to top it all off to this day we are to be available 24/365 to work in the company deems it necessary.
So yes. I _DO_ claim slavery when all the basic rights that had been painfully gained through the 20th centry haven been swiftly dragged from under our feet, all in the name of economic interest and a complete disregard of operational safety.
So please don't bring back the issue of money. Money has not been an issue for a long time now. It's all about basic rights, our dignity and the safety of operations. I don't think I would have to stress that the people that are RIGHT NOW sending untrained military personnel to take control of the operation are not thinking too much about safety.
With all my regards,
Juan Toledo
If you must know as an experienced approach controller at LECB I made 4300 EUR last month. Our last colleagues to join are making 2300 eur.
I love this job and if it was only an issue of money I'd consider myself happy. But it's not. We've gone from 1200 to upwards of 2000 hours. Management has decided unilaterally to increase traffic loads with absolutely no safety studies. We are enduring monthly rosters of 200 hours. When some of us folded to pressure (18 people had already been medically evacuated when I last asked in august) the goverment forced the medical inspection to turn down sick leaves. Colleagues of my have been working while still on anxiety medication, or decided to drop the treatment ot of fear of government retaliation.
Just culture has been completely obliterated, and recordings have been used arbitrarily to attack employees. We have been robbed of our holidays, and sick leaves have gone unpaid. They are losing trial after trial because the company is denying basic rights (leaves to attend small children). Even after having lost these trials the continue the practice (hopefully we will end up having an obvious case of mobbing)
With today's decree it is the fourth time this year that legislation has been passed specifically to change our terms and conditions, collective negotiation be damned.
And to top it all off to this day we are to be available 24/365 to work in the company deems it necessary.
So yes. I _DO_ claim slavery when all the basic rights that had been painfully gained through the 20th centry haven been swiftly dragged from under our feet, all in the name of economic interest and a complete disregard of operational safety.
So please don't bring back the issue of money. Money has not been an issue for a long time now. It's all about basic rights, our dignity and the safety of operations. I don't think I would have to stress that the people that are RIGHT NOW sending untrained military personnel to take control of the operation are not thinking too much about safety.
With all my regards,
Juan Toledo
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With all my respects to the controllers.
As an airline captain I have to say that we have been suffering for whatever reason this situation for more than a year now. The extorsion to Airlines is enormous and one day we could talk about the influence of ATC in the fatigue of crews this summer. In my airline we were obligued to review lost communications procedures.
Tired of holdings after 6 hours flights, 2 hours slots, maintain 160 kts from 50 miles out of the field bla bla bla,
And on top of that today at 5pm before an bank holiday weekend 90% of ATC staff get ill, it is absolutely unaceptable
We are all responsible for our decisions and you should face the consequences of some attitudes
To be honest I wouldn´t like to be on your skin
As an airline captain I have to say that we have been suffering for whatever reason this situation for more than a year now. The extorsion to Airlines is enormous and one day we could talk about the influence of ATC in the fatigue of crews this summer. In my airline we were obligued to review lost communications procedures.
Tired of holdings after 6 hours flights, 2 hours slots, maintain 160 kts from 50 miles out of the field bla bla bla,
And on top of that today at 5pm before an bank holiday weekend 90% of ATC staff get ill, it is absolutely unaceptable
We are all responsible for our decisions and you should face the consequences of some attitudes
To be honest I wouldn´t like to be on your skin
Join Date: Jul 2009
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All this opinions against spanish ATCo's. If your term and conditions were reduced like that, I really would like to see your reaction.
Our government in Portugal is doing the same to everybody. Reducing terms and conditions unilaterally. Do you guys think you can accept that? That's what the spanish government is doing.....
We all know the state at which the PIIGS countries are, is due to the corruption and bad management of the same politicians that are doing this state of the art measures to fight the crisis. Someone as to fight this politicians.
Spanish ATCo's: I am with you!(and my holidays are being affected by you, I have a flight tomorrow MAD-JFK)
Our government in Portugal is doing the same to everybody. Reducing terms and conditions unilaterally. Do you guys think you can accept that? That's what the spanish government is doing.....
We all know the state at which the PIIGS countries are, is due to the corruption and bad management of the same politicians that are doing this state of the art measures to fight the crisis. Someone as to fight this politicians.
Spanish ATCo's: I am with you!(and my holidays are being affected by you, I have a flight tomorrow MAD-JFK)
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That sounds all very nice and, above all, very convincing, Juan Toledo, but the fact of the matter is that your colleagues (and very likely yourself as well) abandoned your job today, illegally.
If I do that I get fired and that is the case for 99% of us who work for a boss. It sucks but that's life.
If your work has become so unsafe for passengers as you claim, then there are plenty of (international) organizations to denounce that. Have you done so? What have these organizations ruled about the issue?
If your work basically comes down to slavery, as you claim, then there are plenty of Spanish and European legal steps which you could have taken. Have you done so?
Even if you are right about all your claims, todays' event is totally disproportionate and irresponsible.
If I do that I get fired and that is the case for 99% of us who work for a boss. It sucks but that's life.
If your work has become so unsafe for passengers as you claim, then there are plenty of (international) organizations to denounce that. Have you done so? What have these organizations ruled about the issue?
If your work basically comes down to slavery, as you claim, then there are plenty of Spanish and European legal steps which you could have taken. Have you done so?
Even if you are right about all your claims, todays' event is totally disproportionate and irresponsible.
today.
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Devil's advocate
Just reading this thread and wondering, if us pilots had had the ba**s to organize something like this, before our terms and conditions went to hell, would have made a difference...
It appears a lot of people (don't really know how I feel personally) are against this very drastic action taken by the Spanish ATC today, but how many of you, have also been complaining about our work conditions the last years, without really having done anything about it (myself being one)???
It appears a lot of people (don't really know how I feel personally) are against this very drastic action taken by the Spanish ATC today, but how many of you, have also been complaining about our work conditions the last years, without really having done anything about it (myself being one)???
Naughty but Nice
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I don't know about emergency but the UK news is reporting that the military are taking over on instruction from the government following the sickness which struck all the controllers in Spain at 1700...
Very interesting situation...
Cheers,
northerner
"keep smiling... It makes people wonder what you're up to..."
Very interesting situation...
Cheers,
northerner
"keep smiling... It makes people wonder what you're up to..."
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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JToledo, expect no sympathy or understanding from pilots..as a group of people they do not comprehend solidarity , standing up for their rights and in increasing numbers actually getting paid to do their job. Old_fokker , the fact is that the King of Spain ( who is supposed not to be involved in state matters like this ) signed a decree saying that it is illegal for atc to go on strike. My business and livelyhood is directly effected by this action but I understand why it is being done and they have my support. So long as state sponsored television and newspapers continue to print the " party line " I do accept it is very hard for people to see what is really happening.. but the timing of this action is random and coincided by no coincidence with this mornings announcement that the Spanish government is to begin to sell the airport authority.
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The military have now stepped in: BBC News - Spain's military takes over air traffic control
Anybody know how long there will be disruption to Spanish airspace?
Or whether there's enough military controllers?
Anybody know how long there will be disruption to Spanish airspace?
Or whether there's enough military controllers?