French ATC Strike March 6th-10th (Brest/Bordeaux FIR's)
 

Well that's ruined my evening.

Sigh. Oh no, not again. Any more for any more?

Should be another fun week at work then - what's this one for?......not that it really matters

Summer's on the way.

French ATC is the biggest joke in world aviation.

Plenty of EGs lads - enjoy it while you can!

upsets my plans as I was going to Bordeaux that week.

It is bit odd though that with all the legitimate complaints voiced here about T&Cs being reduced and pay worsening for pilots and other Aviation professionals in the UK people get annoyed at their equivalents and neighbours standing up for themselvest and in France that means Strike.

With you there pax. It's just a pity that strikes have to be the reaction to these sorts of problems. Anyone got a better idea of how to handle them ?

+ 1 to both the above....

Yes, but what they're doing isn't very productive.
They're about 3500 to 4500 people.
Of course you can have a huge salary when you're in such a locked profession (irreplaceable), with such a corporatist spirit (due to being all trained at the same school in tightly knit classes of 20 guys/gals), and with a few rational arguments (money they bring, responsibility they have, etc..)

Their cause (fighting against pay worsening) might be just, yes.
But since their arguments are so specific, they're just creating a set of privileges for themselves.

Pay worsening should be fought through general strike. Not just ATC strike. The latter only consisting in allowing the random ATC to upgrade his car from audi A5 to A7...

Before judging do we know why they are striking?

I believe it's often not actually directly connected with the ATC organisation, but a more general civil service strike.

.... elections coming up?

Gonzo

You may well be right but in France that amounts tot he same thing. Civil service positions are well paid and well protected and include all kind of people who were once Civil servants , or at least Government employees in UK.
The miracle of privatisation ended that of course as many many front line jobs were privatised as well meaning there is not the critical mass in UK or solidarity ( the Liberte Equalitie Fraternitie in France;' there's no such thing as Society' in UK)

And as is pointed out an election looms and in France that means Aux Armes Citoyens etc while we have 'Long to reign OVER us)

Different mindsets and I am not really sure how long France can sustain the civil service priveleges but they sure did alot better than we did

Of course, it's just that everyone seems to have a go at the ATCOs for going on strike assuming it's something directly to do with ATC, where often the situation is more complex.

I thought I saw in a NOTAM earlier that Marseille LFMM has also joined in now too, but they won't start until Tuesday morning (also until Friday evening), but now I can't find it again.

Wee wee.............

I say good for them.

I'd be game for a strike for the right reasons. I'd love to see a vote to ignite some of that dry powder we're always told about. But hey, if we can't strike over privatisation, the closure of a pension scheme, the destruction of trainee T&Cs, large scale redundancy, increasing workload demands and the routinely protracted pay negotiations, I don't know what's left..

Vive La France!

247.

Well said.

I agree entirely and credit to the French ATC staff for "having a pair" and lets just hope that the powder isn't too dry if it is ever used as it was very dry in 1980 when I joined.

Vive La France!

The powder was used in 1981, I know because I was on the picket line. The ATCO redunedencies of 2015 were voluntary I know because I was in that line as well.
I must confess that before I left I thought the Union had lost its way a bit especially "working together".

Rgds
AyrTC