Irish controllers to take UK airspace
 

Interesting news on the IABB that the IAA are to provide Irish controllers to control the Strumble/Land End sector at LACC at the request of NATS, as it seems they can't cope ... sickness, and lack of staff apparently ...

Think there are 9 coming plus another possible 11 from Sweden.

NATS can barely afford to pay it's own staff, where's the money coming from to pay for these "contractors"? Who will train them?

NATS will train them, short course at the college then straight into OJT. These people are already licensed ATCO's.
NATS is losing money by the loss of business caused by imposing flow or closing sectors due lack of staff. More staff = more sectors open = more business = more revenue.

T3C5 - reality check!

"Nats will train them"

Which Nats is this then ?

The few OJTI's who are already struggling to train and maintain their own competencies for a few measly quid??

Most of the new ut's or recent validations are already occupying very limited and role specific seats which further erodes our own legally required exposure to the system.

What MMI training will be given and how and by whom- since the Nerc system is unique ( only polite word I could come up with ) in the ATC world?

If the minutes from the early EU trials debriefs were still around we could say " I told you so".

More knee jerks expected soon!

ahh-40612
 

I'm just telling you what I've been told. Although the need to increase revenue from increased throughput of traffic is fairly self evident.
MMI training is hardly a problem, thats what the training section exist for. In fact its the instruction I gave myself during OCT. Its also part of the training all the ATCO T&D's (indeed all U/T's) are given prior to the SVC course.
I guess you're specifically refering to who will give OJTI? Outside my realm I'm afraid, management problem.

sub contracts
 

strange this

if my fellow nats people look at the stuff for the agm of prospect next month you will see the point by heathrow

that point is that nats are sub contracting a controller from cardiff (a good friend and fellow course mate of mine) to the island that we call india oscar mike

short of staff!!

don't want to screw it for him but deploy staff to other areas (sic) if we have a surplus somewhere but maybe that's too logical for the suits

mc

<<NATS will train them, short course at the college then straight into OJT. These people are already licensed ATCO's. >>

Oh.. that's all sorted then. Piece of p really. Next problem please..

Ahh-40612, to quote "The few OJTI's who are already struggling to train and maintain their own competencies for a few measly quid?? "

The number of students versus the number of OJTI's at the moment is so small its not even worth discussing. Most OJTI's are 'lucky' (I use the word very liberally) to see a student once a cycle, well below the figures for training.

Why are the Shannon controllers coming over to do the West End??? Doesn't make an ounce of difference what sector they do does it?? Or have they finally decided that some places are actually harder than others??????????????????

Hmmmmmmm, I wonder if I should bring my headset in February when I make my trip to the UK???? Might be able to pick up a couple of Pounds to help off set the vacation cost <G>...

Better keep your eye on it if you do, Scott. I hear decent headsets are hard to come by over here. Do bring some good fonts though, they'll be graetly appreciated.

Are Prospect seriously allowing this!

No fault of NATS staff that the company is in the pooh!

Borrow ATCO's, WHAT NEXT! Find cheaper labour from around the globe to replace all of us!

No way can this be true, surely?

Then again, I was balloted on the pay rise, based upon the fact that NATS had no more money, then PCS etc got MEAN and got more! No offence to non ATCO's in NATS, but I got SHAFTED by Prospect, I believed the shi@ delivered through my letterbox disguised as a ballot form and previous communications from our union, silly me! Hope this is thought of during our annual union pi@@ up at Bredbury!!!

So allowing non-NATS ATCO's to come in and take 'our' jobs, is par for the course! (Assuming this thread to be fact)!

... and New Scottish Centre will now be a call centre in a Bombay suburb ...

NN

At least Bombay will be warm!!!!!!

Relax!

Knowing the commercial nous of NATS, these imported ATCOs will work out more expensive than the home grown variety. However, this will also mean less money for things like decent pay, but on the other hand, will allow NATS managers to pay themselves extra for having seemed to have solved a problem.

I hope management and government read these threads very carefully.
You are rotten from the top down and only a mass clear out followed by a complete overhaul of the running of NATS will turn us round from the inevitable slide down the ****ter!
Staff in this company are treated with very little respect but every day we work hard to maintain the safe movement of air traffic in the UK.The staff are not consulted and involved enough in decision making within NATS, because if we were then the genuine, positive and constructive input we could give would have a far more beneficial effect on this company than some overpaid manager.
If we keep sitting back and do nothing then we will continue to be shat on and all the problems will only be moved around not resolved.
What a bloody disgrace that we may be hiring ATCOs from other countries because we cant get it right in NATS.
As a final thought I was so glad for my huge back pay this month it made me feel bad that i had voted no,but now i realise i was wrong and that we are now so much better off and everything is ok with a bright future.

Apparently the story about recruiting from Ireland and Sweden is correct. This has been confirmed by NATS Management.

Can't wait!! The theory is that the Swedes will do the West End and the Irish are for Clacton and North Sea.

Any news from Dublin or Stockholm??

:) :o :p

Any chances of me going the other way? :D

Please!!!!!

of course there was another way, they could have used military controllers. but i think that would have been too easy wouldnt it?

Canberras post about the use of Military controllers is the third or fourth time I have seen this in the last few days. One occasion was on the NATS Swanwick notice board, I presume that he is referring to EX Military controllers who will be put through a shortened course by virtue of their military experience.
This is not meant as a criticism of Military ATC staff, they do a fine job within the Military enviroment, however Civil ATC is an entirely different discipline. I would suggest that if the situation were reversed most civil ATCers would not demand a shortened course by virtue of their civil ATC experience.
I must admit that I get a little annoyed with the presumption of some of our Military ATC colleagues. RANT OVER !