Aaaah now the Sh:mad: dwandg is going to hit the fan. Those who did not want to come and play with us in the sand might be riding a Kangaroo soon.

With the Nederlanderssss also taking Staff, you have more and more options for our Boyz and girls. Might I also add that New Zealand is also looking for AREA controllers and you might want to tell that to the Stander Gang!:ugh:

Please let me know where in the world you will settle so I can plan my next holiday......hmmm Australia or New Zealand or Amsterdam or Dubai or Oman no need going to SA you will all have left come next year! :8

Okay Bye!

:D := :D :=

Rumour has it 2 more from ACC off to the land of the sand... starting Feb!!

What now, this ship sinking?

Cheers

Surely at this rate you can not staff the 4 sectors anymore during the day. What about the 8 days off every month? I feel so sorry for the Poolguy. His "pool" has sprung a leak and he has only ten fingers with which to plug the holes. And who will suffer the most? The ATCs with summer in full swing. The airspace may be huge and you can run, but you can not hide from Chris Burger. :{

Ama Glug Glug T.N.S
 

This is your Captain Speaking: "Please board the remaining life rafts now leaving for OMAN, UAE, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA and EUROPE.......glug glug
We are sinking!!!!
And there is nothing to be sin(g)king about!
To all at Jo-ies staying behind, the light switch is in the Oceanic Cell behind the door!:confused:

....and on your way out, can you grab that nice clock at the tower lift. The last one got zikked before I could lay may grubby paws on it. And give YH a VERY VERY big hug and kiss. Damn fine that one....:ok:

Got that clock in the garage,still ticking away!!This was before the time of fingerprint ID, cameras and the blue team taking over.Good luck to the JHB boys and girls,the present clown in charge and her sidekick aren't going to change anything!!

Something is still ticking, I think its a time bomb!!!:{ :{ :{
Cheers

So I hear a few more JHB ATC's will be resigning soon, (that is if they haven't resigned yet) to move to the land of sand. I believe another 2 have received offers......

I believe Air Services Australia started responding to the thousands of applications, and some controllers have been asked to forward proof of licence/rating etc. So ...... phase 1, the paper sifting is complete. It would be really interesting to know how many controllers got feedback from ASA.

My heart goes out to the boys and girls of JHB, who are stuck in SA for various reasons (personal, family, age, etc.)

I feel sorry for the Pool managers who will be expected to perform miracles with hardly any competent staff left. GOOD LUCK!!!!

The Happy Clown!!!
 

Scene 1 :(circus music...ta,ta,ta.ta...)
Ringmaster walks in.
(Great applause from the Affirmative Crowd!!!!!(Load clapping))

Ringmaster(Actually the head clown) :

"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls Tonight you will see an Amazing sight!!"

Camera Zoom in, on one lonely ATC, sitting at a very smart Radar screen, but it is not working( due to a lack of Techs to service it as they have also all went in search of greener pastures)

Ringmaster : (drumb roll ....drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) "Atc One will now, single handedly try and control all the traffic in SA for the 2010 Soccer world cup.....( drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)but that is not all ........He is going to do it while blind folded ,so he will have no Radar. (Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Dissssss)

(laud applause from the Board who has no idea of ATC but only of money making .........the show is going on...... and fewer controllers means more profit!!! So they are on to a winning formula. Plus the government insentive for now having a company that is truely representative of the SA population)

Friends and family of ATC One keep saying no! Don't do it ! It is not going to work, get out.

ATC ONE, who stayed because he believed the Clown, and all his promises, and because he believed things will be better with the new Ringleader. He further trusted the Circus boss's every time they promised more money to support his family, who he hardly sees, because he is so tired after every show!

This time he thinks :I will get the reward for my loyalty ,just this one more show!!!

The show starts......

ATC ONE works the traffic ,he is doing a great job .......
but then the Ringleader gets rid of his assistant .....
the workload increases........
ATC One Looks at the Ringleader and ask for more help!!

Ringleader: "Don't worry Ladies and Gentleman ATC ONE is a trained profesional he will handle this situation !

Suddenly the place starts to shake as the SAS ATNS has struck yet another Reform Political Ice berg, another few controllers have left, he will have to do more show with less pay. The place starts coming appart...the standard of the shows are getting worse (the radios stop working then .......)

Next scene:
ATC ONE is over worked,tired, underpaid. He has tried his best to stay positive, to remain loyal but, still he gets the blame for the standard of the shows, his attitude is wrong,his failure to support reform, he gets told to" leave if he does not't like it "

Final Scene:

ATC ONE joins a travelling Circus in the Land Of SANDEUROPEANDDOWNUNDERMIDDLEEARTH where he still performs the same shows, but with working radars,less crime,more time of to be with his family. Better salary and quality of life.
The Ringmaster is left with a small group of Contracted ATC's that have already spoken with ATC ONE about the place he works for now and about when they can start there with him! They plea with ATC ONE. "Please help we can no longer take it here."

And lots of time off to type long stories like this!

Yikes, after that DNS you forgot to mention the amount of time off you must have...

Enjoy the klippies.

Cheers

Agree he has way too much time off. Amusing scenario though :}

So, how many from the big JS got an invite to submit papers to ASA? Enough to make ATNS worry?

Lowly Cape Town
 

If I may just get my foot in the door (on my way out) here.

Good Question above. How many Joburg guys/gals have applied?

For the 1st time in probably 10 years Cpt might be facing a possible staffing crisis. We've just said goodbye to our two Irish, one Pom contract worker and have had a resignation from another to go to the Middle East. That's 10% of our staff. Three more atc's have their CV's in the M.E.

But wait, that's not all. If you phone now............

The rumour is that 13 atc's have applied for ASA from down here (and don't we just love rumours)
I can confirm that 5 have recieved further correspondence from ASA and are frantically getting the required paperwork together.

Big request please. We need to fly out of Joburg to get there so could you guys and gals please stick around until we've gone.

Race you there

Now BOK2GO, this is a very selfish request (But then I quess, each man/woman for themselves);)

From what I hear there are 8 JHB controllers to leave in the next 6 months! This excludes Oz. I have no idea how many JHB controllers received futher correspondence from Oz, but I have to agree it would be very interesting to know how many!

To all of those who have not applied anywhere else, get your camping gear ready. You will be spending lots of time at work!!!! (At least if you are at work there is no risk of getting hi-jacked! You see there is always a bright side to every situation!)

Anyone from Joburg know for sure?

BOK2GO, confirm its Chucky leaving Cape Town for the sand pit? I see at least 3 ATC's from north of the Oranje River will be joining ATNS soon, but places like Kimberley and Polokwane.

Hi Voel..

Still no vacancy for me in FASM?? :E

Rand to strong and listening to the SA news it is unbelievable why.

For those of you in SA looking North to the sandpit!!!! Make sure you know what you are letting yourselves into:=

Bok2go...pm me rgds
RE

Care to elaborate?

OK just a few I can think of..
Abu Dhabi!!

Money??

1. For the SA guys/girls, you will basically gain all the tax you pay in SA plus a few bucks more.....Deffinately not to become rich. Specially if you still have commitments in your home country regarding home loan, etc.(most of the time you just barely survive on the salary paid here) For the first 2 years, you basically spend all your money just to make yourself comfortable here..then only you will be able to start saving what is left.
2. You will get company furnished accomodation.....no TV,washing machine, tumble dryer, Microwave,etc etc. For the the first 2-3 months you wil get a company float of broom, plates, glasses, kettle bedding etc which you will have to replace with your own. Ask friends here what their accomodation is like..married people..not to bad (3 bedroom flat..single/married..2 bedroom flat) very shortly, some place new for the single people...where? no one knows. OR take the money..75.000AED pa and try and look for your own accomodation. Remember..you get half from the company but you have to pay for 12 months in advance when renting a place...ouch:{
3. If you so choose to rent your own place, you might only get a place way off the island as on the island, it is extremely expensive..look on the map to see what I am talking about.
4. Here you are only an expat number...working for Serco. You are not local..so do not expect any promotion to any positions coming up as it is reserved for locals.
5. If you are married, you wil get all hell from mother-love after a few months as she gets extremely agitated sitting at home in a flat 10-18 storeys above ground all day long. So you will have to take her out/entertain en loose some of your hard-earned income. If you can get her to start working, it's a bonus and it will definately help to you.
6. You want to go home twice a year as you get 56 days of leave??? Yip no problem...except a return airline ticket is approx 8000AED/R16000. Serco only gives you 2 tickets per anum for leave purposes.
7. Family is far far away...telephone bill is very high if you do no control it very well.
8. Traffic wise...Dubai is total chaos....hours on the road due traffic. Abu Dhabi still acceptable but it is like "RUSSIAN ROULETTE", you have to be extremely cautions to stay out of accidents as the locals and the Asian expats are trying their best to take you out. Highwah speed limit 160Kph to Dubai and Al Ain..(a friend once said to me, "death is coming from behind, not from the front"). Some of them travel at speeds in access of 200Kph.:eek:
9. The only 10+ positive thing here is the safety.... walk in town any time of day and night and no one will even blink an eye at you...no break-ins (Cars parked in the street 24hrs)..no break in's etc.
10. Winter time is quite pleasant. Almost the same as somer in Cape Town..without the wind. Summer here is ..is..is... basically jyst short of hell. Temp starts rising in May and only starts reducing in November. Mid-summer the temp is 32C 3am end turns round 46C to 49C in mid-day. Some days 52C. In the beginning of summer the dewpoint is about 60%, but in July to November, it goes up to 96%. (Turn oven to 280C..place bucket of water in oven...after 20 minutes, take bucket out and place head in oven...that is wat it feels like!!;)


You want me to continue??

These are only a few I can think of at the moment...hope you satisfied.

Rgds

RE

I chatted to a mate from Joburg last night. He said that there were two resignations from the acc pool yesterday. Anyone know more? They're down to 16 on a shift that requires 24 people to make it work.

May Day May Day
 

Heard the Stander-gang had an Emergency meeting about the "Sudden" Staff problems at ATNS.

What is the latest? :confused:

Ps: Don't fall for the same old bull they are going to try and bribe you to stay till 2010 and then..........take one kick up the back side.:{