Prospect Press Release: NATS Staff Angry
 

NATS STAFF ANGRY AT PAY DEAL FOR OUTGOING CHIEFS
Prospect, the union representing over 3,000 air traffic controllers, engineers and specialists employed by the national air traffic provider NATS, has described the remuneration packages of two of NATS’ most senior officers as " disgraceful and repugnant".
The comments follow today’s (Friday) publication of NATS’ annual accounts for the year ending March 2010, which showed another year of healthy profits and the payment of dividends to shareholders. The report also shows a year where delays were at an historic low and another impressive year in terms of safety.
Prospect Aviation Officer Garry Graham said: “Our members will be rightly proud yet again in terms of what they have achieved in relation to safety, service delivery and delays. But we believe all profits should be reinvested in staffing, technology and training. Simply stripping money out of the business, particularly at this stage of the economic cycle, makes no sense.”
However Graham reserved his harshest criticism for the remuneration packages of outgoing Chief Executives Paul Barron and Lawrence Hoskins who received nearly £2m and £1.2m respectively.
Describing these sums as "disgraceful and repugnant" Graham said: "In a year when our members have had to endure a pay freeze, and senior management have lectured staff on the need for restraint and to reduce costs, we see two departing Chief Executives choosing to ‘fill their boots’.
"This is another example of the red in tooth and claw impact of partial privatisation – where there is one rule for staff and another for senior executives. It is yet one more reason we believe the further sell-off of NATS should be opposed."
The mood among members in the face of such hypocrisy was, he added, one of extreme anger that will “certainly make for an interesting pay round".
Ends

Do Prospect use all their hot air to keep their powder dry?

Naaaah it just blows it away....

Anger at bosses pay, fears over further sell off, pension under threat, etc.

what about a day of action? just one day where we don't try too hard.

outbounds left on the SID. no climb till well clear of the stacks. no direct routings. add an extra mile to every spacing. split every sector and if they can't be staffed then get them flowed.

just to show the difference in performance from a highly motivated workforce.

if this was france we'd already be doing it.

Three chances of that happening:- Slim. None and Stuff All
ATSA [Rtd]

I wonder what Prospect's opposition will be. So far I've only seen chatter about writing to politicians. Wow.

I believe in Father Christmas. Doesn't mean there'll be anybody coming down my chimney on 24th December.

Just to put this into context, £3m, the Baron and his henchmans' payoff, would pay 300 trainees' annual salaries.... :mad:

I take it from that you are referring to the members?

After all it is the members that make up the union and give it the strength or not that it has.

A day of not trying too hard....

If Prospect were involved they would be sued for unofficial industrial action and NATS would almost certainly have a high court injuction preventing Prospect from doing anything like this.

The law on industrial action (changed in the 1980's by the Thatcher Govt) is extraordinarily complex and designed to make it much harder to do legally. This was demonstrated by BA when they successfully took out high court injuctions against Unite for often the smallest errors in the admin process.

The members of Prospect govern what happens. If 40% of them can't be arsed to vote on a pay rise - what do you expect Prospect to do? How many will be bothered with the subsequent vote on industrial action? If you call for industrial action and you don't get it then you are finished as a union.

To those who want action - why don't you start doing something yourself? ...start by writing to the Chairman of NATS or the CAA. Write to your MP. Write a motion to conference - and give Prospect a mandate for action. Start the swell of employee outrage.......

I suspect it's time for someone to shoot me down in flames as is the way here.

And maybe think a bit harder before volunteering for those additional duties

Is "Prospect" a 'Union' like Unite or the RMT?

I see our new boss says in his blog that he has spoken to the unions about remuneration and that it is all the past now, and we should all look to the future. Thats easy for him to say.

This wouldn't be anything to do with Prospect, and certainly not illegal. Afterall, leaving aircraft on the SID, no climb until clear is safe and by the book. Admitedly not the most expeditious method to control aircraft, but certainly not unlawful.

sleepleenights,
to quote Mike Hugg,
"It's the only thing to look forward to, - the past". :ok:

Industrial action? Nah, never going to happen. Prospect are far too weak for that now.

For those of us like myself though, the desert is sounding far more appealing, and I know there are several more out there like minded. It aint going to be industrial action any more, its going to be arrivederci Nats, thanks for treating me like sh!te :mad:

well, well.....not a surprise that senior management has got another bonus (a substancial one at that). Well how about the unions introduce a bonus scheme for ATCOs?
For every mile we save an aircraft is a £100 bonus
For aircraft we work through our sector £100 bonus.

After all the hard work non-ops and ops room staff have put into direct routeing and night time saving fuel flights to save the airlines more and more money and see that the profits are disappearing into the ether by giving it away as bonus and projects that are far from complete and still needing more funding.

my job includes moving traffic safely and efficiently as i am paid to do. Why don't senior managers get paid a basic wage for the job they have been contracted to do?? that is your wage and you will not get a bonus coz that is the job you are contracted to do!!!!!!!

very annoying for :mad::mad:

You mean like the Spanish have been doing for the last few weeks?

Things are likely to get worse. It's fairly likely in this corporate-styled world of new opportunities, and an emphasis on providing a return to the shareholder, that you lot will end up feeling like an avalanche of crap is gathering momentum over and around you.

I used to laugh at the Dilbert cartoons. In a detached, amused way. Now I laugh at them, in a cynical and knowing way. (Still amusing, though.)

Only when you unify, and realize that you are your union, and are so disgusted with the goings-on that you actually agree on a course of action, will this avalanche slow. A little. If you get it right, and you're a bit lucky.

When I see forum posters (apparently) slagging off their own union, I despair a little for the future. Get it together, folks.

NATS first pay offer Jan 2011 1.5% (delayed until 1/4/2011 to pay for volcanic ash) then Jan 2012 based on AUG 2011 RPI but capped at 3%. Prospect have released this info in the hope that we are angered by such a derisery amount. I would therefore like to think we can support them to achieve at least RPI for both years with no cap, but without our support they are powerless and we only have ourselves to blame if we end up with less.

I can understand the frustration of employees regarding these substantial payoffs/bonuses but I might like to suggest that in the world of business and high finance such payments could be justified. Messrs Hoskins and Barron have paid dividends to shareholders whilst having the British Government ie: British Taxpayer underwrite the risk, employees have accepted a below inflation pay increase, employees and unions have been persuaded to voluntarily relinquish their pension rights guaranteed by Parliament and Lord Prescott of Kingston-upon-Hull, increased traffic flows by the use of overtime etc, etc, all under the guise of "Working Together"
I do remember in the 1980s when BT, BA, BAA, and other state owned enterprises were being "liberated" into the private sector at taxpayers expense (again) there were many ATC personnel who were jumping onto the bandwagon buying shares, including making multiple illegal applications for shares in false names and were happy to make a quick buck at the employees expense.
I can now hear the sound of chickens coming home to roost!