Merged: ASA Staff Shortage
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Here
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
somniferous,
This is not true. Prior to the staff shortage kicking in, less overtime was required for staff unless for the following reasons:
-We actually had more staff rostered on during the day ("fat" in the roster) so that if someone wasn't coming in it could be covered)
-We had supervisors/team leaders on shift who could plug in and cover some gaps.
- Calling anyone in was called "ED" - "Emergency Duty".
With the more staff on rosters, there were more people on days off to potentially come in.
- The attitude at the time was that no-one countenanced closing the airspace. It was unheard of to go TIBA. "TIBA" was one of those things a nasty checkie would ask you about.
What happened then?
-The "fat" out of the rosters was cut over time. This was done by reducing the coverage requirements and then not replacing any staff moving on. Some groups of sectors lost 1 person in coverage for every six months for years.
- New people were not being recruited.
- "ATS Line Manager" (ALM) positions were created. These new positions drew from operational controllers and operational supervisors. Large pay rises were offered for those willing to take AWAs. 100 or so positions (over 12% of all ATCs) were created. These ALMs are not operational and they cannot act as air traffic controllers. This effectively removed a large amount of controllers from the pool of replacements.
- The "Service Delivery Environment" ("SDE") project was attempted. This project's philosophy was to divide Australia's Control sectors into High "Upper Airpsace Services" and Low "Regional Services" and "East Coast Services". The philisophy was that different types of controllers could work these different areas - generic ratings, a Brisbane arrivals controller also doing Sydney Arrivals and/or Cairns arrivals (maybe at night-time doing all!). This project was not thought out properly at all. It introduced huge inefficiencies. It took sectors off controllers and gave them new ones. The pool of replacements for a particular sector just dropped. The drain on training resources was huge. Not a few controllers were trained and endorsed on sectors they have not even worked. Some controllers, who did have multiple sector endorsements, now only sit on one sector. Extremely wasteful.
Controllers warned about the ALM process and SDE project and the effect on staffing levels but they went unheeded.
As the staff shortage started to impact operations (increased delays, TIBA), then training staff were brought back from the simulator to plug in. As a result, for many groups, final field training courses languished. As traffic pattern, procedures, and airspace changes occured (mostly due SDE), no-one was sent into the sim to renew the courses. No-one was available. Simulator courses are now out of date - some by many years. This is crippling the recovery process - even if enough trainees can make it through the Academy. These shortcomings were all warned about by controllers to management.
Part of Greg Russell's (CEO of Airservices AKA "TFN" here and elsewhere) plan to cut budgets was to decimated training. Controllers, even if they could be spared off the roster (which they aren't), are required to do refresher trainining to maintain proficiency in emergency response and system degradation. Airservices Australia has failed to provide simulator refresher for its ATCs for almost 3 years now. There are endorsed controllers who have never done refresher training on VFR in IMC (say) for their entire career so far.
Greg Russell's ALM, SDE and cost cutting rampage has crippled Airservices Australia's ability to provide an air traffic service. I have not even mentioned the Certified Agreement which expired last Sunday.
Short term sick leave (ie not including any long term, managed ilnesses) has been steady over the years and has decreased since last year.
In today's environment, if a controller is ill for a shift, there are generally no more onsite solutions. A callout is necessary. If a callout is not available, the airspace is likely to close, or other controllers on shift manage the extra workload with delays.
In the past, as I have said, it was replaceable by retasking controllers already at work, and/or there are enough staff so that an unrepleaced absence is not automatically TIBA. More staff were available on days off, so that doing OT was less fatiguing.
Any talk of unofficially not doing OT for any other reason than those outlined in the Certified Agreement is seen as industrial action.
If AsA were fully staffed then the OT that we did to cover illnesses would in fact be of a "reasonable" nature.
-We actually had more staff rostered on during the day ("fat" in the roster) so that if someone wasn't coming in it could be covered)
-We had supervisors/team leaders on shift who could plug in and cover some gaps.
- Calling anyone in was called "ED" - "Emergency Duty".
With the more staff on rosters, there were more people on days off to potentially come in.
- The attitude at the time was that no-one countenanced closing the airspace. It was unheard of to go TIBA. "TIBA" was one of those things a nasty checkie would ask you about.
What happened then?
-The "fat" out of the rosters was cut over time. This was done by reducing the coverage requirements and then not replacing any staff moving on. Some groups of sectors lost 1 person in coverage for every six months for years.
- New people were not being recruited.
- "ATS Line Manager" (ALM) positions were created. These new positions drew from operational controllers and operational supervisors. Large pay rises were offered for those willing to take AWAs. 100 or so positions (over 12% of all ATCs) were created. These ALMs are not operational and they cannot act as air traffic controllers. This effectively removed a large amount of controllers from the pool of replacements.
- The "Service Delivery Environment" ("SDE") project was attempted. This project's philosophy was to divide Australia's Control sectors into High "Upper Airpsace Services" and Low "Regional Services" and "East Coast Services". The philisophy was that different types of controllers could work these different areas - generic ratings, a Brisbane arrivals controller also doing Sydney Arrivals and/or Cairns arrivals (maybe at night-time doing all!). This project was not thought out properly at all. It introduced huge inefficiencies. It took sectors off controllers and gave them new ones. The pool of replacements for a particular sector just dropped. The drain on training resources was huge. Not a few controllers were trained and endorsed on sectors they have not even worked. Some controllers, who did have multiple sector endorsements, now only sit on one sector. Extremely wasteful.
Controllers warned about the ALM process and SDE project and the effect on staffing levels but they went unheeded.
As the staff shortage started to impact operations (increased delays, TIBA), then training staff were brought back from the simulator to plug in. As a result, for many groups, final field training courses languished. As traffic pattern, procedures, and airspace changes occured (mostly due SDE), no-one was sent into the sim to renew the courses. No-one was available. Simulator courses are now out of date - some by many years. This is crippling the recovery process - even if enough trainees can make it through the Academy. These shortcomings were all warned about by controllers to management.
Part of Greg Russell's (CEO of Airservices AKA "TFN" here and elsewhere) plan to cut budgets was to decimated training. Controllers, even if they could be spared off the roster (which they aren't), are required to do refresher trainining to maintain proficiency in emergency response and system degradation. Airservices Australia has failed to provide simulator refresher for its ATCs for almost 3 years now. There are endorsed controllers who have never done refresher training on VFR in IMC (say) for their entire career so far.
Greg Russell's ALM, SDE and cost cutting rampage has crippled Airservices Australia's ability to provide an air traffic service. I have not even mentioned the Certified Agreement which expired last Sunday.
Short term sick leave (ie not including any long term, managed ilnesses) has been steady over the years and has decreased since last year.
In today's environment, if a controller is ill for a shift, there are generally no more onsite solutions. A callout is necessary. If a callout is not available, the airspace is likely to close, or other controllers on shift manage the extra workload with delays.
In the past, as I have said, it was replaceable by retasking controllers already at work, and/or there are enough staff so that an unrepleaced absence is not automatically TIBA. More staff were available on days off, so that doing OT was less fatiguing.
Any talk of unofficially not doing OT for any other reason than those outlined in the Certified Agreement is seen as industrial action.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
IRC Last Week?
Can anyone shed some light on the outcomes of the AIRC hearings last week about the various issues between Civil Air and ASA.
From memory:
Reasonable OT
ALMs
LOA and CA.
From memory:
Reasonable OT
ALMs
LOA and CA.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There was only 1 result published from the IRC last week. That was the "pre-6am starts".
It was decided that we can still do them as the letter of commitment expires with the CA. We didn't really expect to win, but it proves that ASA's word is not worth the Letter of Agreement is printed on.
It was decided that we can still do them as the letter of commitment expires with the CA. We didn't really expect to win, but it proves that ASA's word is not worth the Letter of Agreement is printed on.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Start,
The LOA was a crok in the first place as the PORs said you could do pre0600 starts in any case so all the LOA did was create a heap of FAs for the sake of some shiny bum in AWB.
Regardless though. interesting how the "LOA has expired with the CA" but a new CA has not been agreed/certified and therefore the conditions of the "old" CA continue until they are replaced. Ergo, the CA has not expired otherwise you would be back to basic award conditions.
Cake and eat it too perhaps?
BTW, I just read JH's Xmas message and he says that the CA will be agreed in the new year....Fat F*(&*^inG chance in 2009 if the same insulting offer is on the table - maybe 2010, maybe.
Slug.
The LOA was a crok in the first place as the PORs said you could do pre0600 starts in any case so all the LOA did was create a heap of FAs for the sake of some shiny bum in AWB.
Regardless though. interesting how the "LOA has expired with the CA" but a new CA has not been agreed/certified and therefore the conditions of the "old" CA continue until they are replaced. Ergo, the CA has not expired otherwise you would be back to basic award conditions.
Cake and eat it too perhaps?
BTW, I just read JH's Xmas message and he says that the CA will be agreed in the new year....Fat F*(&*^inG chance in 2009 if the same insulting offer is on the table - maybe 2010, maybe.
Slug.
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know this press relase has been listed on the start of another thread, but thought I would post it here - since the only media reference I can find acknowledging is Ben Sandilands article on PlaneTalking (below)
from www.civilair.asn.au/joomla
Media release: Monday December 22 2008
Australian air traffic controllers are today working out of contract after their three-year certified agreement expired yesterday, without a fresh agreement in place despite months of negotiations.
However, meetings of air traffic controllers in all states have today decided not to exercise their right to notify a bargaining period in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Air traffic controllers will continue to work significant amounts of overtime over the Christmas-New Year period as a result of staff shortages.
A meeting between Civil Air and Airservices Australia negotiators is scheduled for tomorrow in Melbourne.
Civil Air Executive Secretary Peter McGuane says the employer Airservices Australia has failed again, but the travelling public has suffered enough in 2008.
"The high incidence of uncontrolled airspace in 2008 has reduced Australian skies to third-world standards.
"Major airlines refuse to fly through uncontrolled air space, either delaying flights or wasting time and fuel to fly around affected sectors.
"At times this has caused chaos, with major centres like Sydney and Melbourne closed for hours because there are no air traffic controllers available to work.
"Airservices has failed to recruit enough new staff to replace those retiring or being lured overseas by lucrative contracts, and could not even provide adequate training facilities for those it did recruit.
"Airservices makes a profit of more than $100 million, but internal reorganisations and staff shortages mean it simply cannot cover the rosters to keep Australian skies safely monitored.
"While air traffic controllers are frustrated that their employer could not complete negotiations by a date set three years ago, they don't want to cause any stress for passengers over the Christmas-New Year holiday period."
For more information
Peter McGuane, Executive Secretary, Civil Air (03) 9647 9100
Andrew Taylor 0411 156 797
and from Ben Sandilands (writer on Crikey.com)
Your Christmas flight might even be on time - Plane Talking
Your Christmas flight might even be on time
December 23, 2008 – 4:28 pm, by Ben Sandilands
Civil Air, the air traffic controller union, says there will be no industrial action during the holiday season.
This might not eliminate problems however, as the statement points to the chronic shortage of controllers, whether union members or not, which has caused air traffic control disruption all year.
The union’s tactic is to leave the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, with no alternative but to conclude that the management of AirServices Australia has not really managed the human resources part of its responsibilities with distinction, which is something the airlines have already told him.
The other unpalatable truth in this shambles is that it is seriously unsafe, contrary to the advice from AirServices and CASA, for the pilots of jet airlines to ’self separate’ without ever knowing with certainty the position of other aircraft in their vicinity, or whether they are even listening on the correct frequency, or have been rendered invisible because of the absurdity of Australia allowing small turbo-prop airliners and freighters to operate without having TCAS collision avoidance systems fitted, as required in the rest of the world.
Perhaps the Minister will review the quality of advice he has been given by the incompetent bureaucracy that his government has chosen to leave untouched in aviation matters, and get a briefing or two from the chief pilots and top management of Qantas and Virgin Blue and Tiger as to why the current situation is intolerable, and unrelated to any official or unofficial union action.
from www.civilair.asn.au/joomla
Media release: Monday December 22 2008
CHRISTMAS INDUSTRIAL ACTION RULED OUT
However, meetings of air traffic controllers in all states have today decided not to exercise their right to notify a bargaining period in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Air traffic controllers will continue to work significant amounts of overtime over the Christmas-New Year period as a result of staff shortages.
A meeting between Civil Air and Airservices Australia negotiators is scheduled for tomorrow in Melbourne.
Civil Air Executive Secretary Peter McGuane says the employer Airservices Australia has failed again, but the travelling public has suffered enough in 2008.
"The high incidence of uncontrolled airspace in 2008 has reduced Australian skies to third-world standards.
"Major airlines refuse to fly through uncontrolled air space, either delaying flights or wasting time and fuel to fly around affected sectors.
"At times this has caused chaos, with major centres like Sydney and Melbourne closed for hours because there are no air traffic controllers available to work.
"Airservices has failed to recruit enough new staff to replace those retiring or being lured overseas by lucrative contracts, and could not even provide adequate training facilities for those it did recruit.
"Airservices makes a profit of more than $100 million, but internal reorganisations and staff shortages mean it simply cannot cover the rosters to keep Australian skies safely monitored.
"While air traffic controllers are frustrated that their employer could not complete negotiations by a date set three years ago, they don't want to cause any stress for passengers over the Christmas-New Year holiday period."
For more information
Peter McGuane, Executive Secretary, Civil Air (03) 9647 9100
Andrew Taylor 0411 156 797
and from Ben Sandilands (writer on Crikey.com)
Your Christmas flight might even be on time - Plane Talking
Your Christmas flight might even be on time
December 23, 2008 – 4:28 pm, by Ben Sandilands
Civil Air, the air traffic controller union, says there will be no industrial action during the holiday season.
This might not eliminate problems however, as the statement points to the chronic shortage of controllers, whether union members or not, which has caused air traffic control disruption all year.
The union’s tactic is to leave the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, with no alternative but to conclude that the management of AirServices Australia has not really managed the human resources part of its responsibilities with distinction, which is something the airlines have already told him.
The other unpalatable truth in this shambles is that it is seriously unsafe, contrary to the advice from AirServices and CASA, for the pilots of jet airlines to ’self separate’ without ever knowing with certainty the position of other aircraft in their vicinity, or whether they are even listening on the correct frequency, or have been rendered invisible because of the absurdity of Australia allowing small turbo-prop airliners and freighters to operate without having TCAS collision avoidance systems fitted, as required in the rest of the world.
Perhaps the Minister will review the quality of advice he has been given by the incompetent bureaucracy that his government has chosen to leave untouched in aviation matters, and get a briefing or two from the chief pilots and top management of Qantas and Virgin Blue and Tiger as to why the current situation is intolerable, and unrelated to any official or unofficial union action.
Join Date: May 2001
Location: UAE
Age: 63
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Who is your worst enemy?
Rant on..
I'm sorry, maybe its because I am now in another time zone, but all I can see that this announcement means is that AsA management will be breathing a large sigh of relief!
I mean, this is the number one time of the year to make a point...if you had put out the press release a month ago stating that you WILL go out on strike over Christmas, it would have focussed their attention like nothing else.
So now you will manfully shoulder the burdens again, show true professionalism, work in the face of adversity, miss the kids opening their prezzies, yada yada yada, so that the traveling public isn't inconvenienced.
God save me from muppets!
I'll say this really slowly so that some of you can get the gist...if you continue to prop up the system, and the travelling public are not inconvenienced, then management are under no pressure to do anything about it.
How many of the travelling public have rung up to say thinks for all the over time.? or for working that shift that meant you couldn't see the kids at their end of year play etc...answer? none! That is how much they care about you and your working conditions.
Obviously articles at Crikey and all the posts here and on the civilair website just are not working...you have been putting up with this stupidity for years and all the whining in the world hasn't worked!
Like Baraka Obama said in his campaign, it's time for a change!
Mind you, getting everyone to give up the extra dollars is like getting a heroin addict to go cold turkey..it just isn't going to happen. Please don't insult the readers here by saying that it's professionalism and looking after your mates etc, we all know that the dollar signs are the first and last thing everyone doing these extra duties thinks about. (either that or being scared of management)
How about the union, puts out a directive that NO overtime, under any guise is to be worked until the agreement is reached. That isn't going on strike, (although I would have thought that you had a pretty airtight safety case) and the holes in the rosters would be there for everyone to see...immediately.
Rant off..
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year to you all, may you get the agreement that you deserve
I'm sorry, maybe its because I am now in another time zone, but all I can see that this announcement means is that AsA management will be breathing a large sigh of relief!
I mean, this is the number one time of the year to make a point...if you had put out the press release a month ago stating that you WILL go out on strike over Christmas, it would have focussed their attention like nothing else.
So now you will manfully shoulder the burdens again, show true professionalism, work in the face of adversity, miss the kids opening their prezzies, yada yada yada, so that the traveling public isn't inconvenienced.
God save me from muppets!
I'll say this really slowly so that some of you can get the gist...if you continue to prop up the system, and the travelling public are not inconvenienced, then management are under no pressure to do anything about it.
How many of the travelling public have rung up to say thinks for all the over time.? or for working that shift that meant you couldn't see the kids at their end of year play etc...answer? none! That is how much they care about you and your working conditions.
Obviously articles at Crikey and all the posts here and on the civilair website just are not working...you have been putting up with this stupidity for years and all the whining in the world hasn't worked!
Like Baraka Obama said in his campaign, it's time for a change!
Mind you, getting everyone to give up the extra dollars is like getting a heroin addict to go cold turkey..it just isn't going to happen. Please don't insult the readers here by saying that it's professionalism and looking after your mates etc, we all know that the dollar signs are the first and last thing everyone doing these extra duties thinks about. (either that or being scared of management)
How about the union, puts out a directive that NO overtime, under any guise is to be worked until the agreement is reached. That isn't going on strike, (although I would have thought that you had a pretty airtight safety case) and the holes in the rosters would be there for everyone to see...immediately.
Rant off..
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year to you all, may you get the agreement that you deserve
Pardoned PPRuNer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: GlassGumtree
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DD,
too much Guiness me thinx..
Compliments of the season to you though!
LOL I found a picture of the Crikey.com chief journalist
(Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf)
too much Guiness me thinx..
Compliments of the season to you though!
LOL I found a picture of the Crikey.com chief journalist
(Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf)
You do realise that banning AD is actually industrial action and we need to enter the bargaining period to do that. Oh, and the minister can stop it from happening when we give the required 72hrs notice. But otherwise, easy.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: hell
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Launy Tower hours?
Is it true that Launceston Tower hours have been 'trimmed' because under ASA's own rostering rules their aren't enough staff to keep the thing open for the published hours????
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: where the sun shines
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am with Civl Air on this one.
Why stuff around families that are going on holidays?
It will only p!ss them off, and incite the Government to possibly do something.
There will still be some disruptions, and that is where the pressure is put back on AsA, to prove that it is the "renegade" controllers.
The people that need to be affected is the Corporate High Flyers, they are the ones that will put the heat on Albo to do something.
Protected Industrial action is what is required. That will happen soon enough, but there is a process to follow first. Once that is done, then Controllers will make a stand.
That is when things will get interesting.
Christmas, however, is not the time for it.
Why stuff around families that are going on holidays?
It will only p!ss them off, and incite the Government to possibly do something.
There will still be some disruptions, and that is where the pressure is put back on AsA, to prove that it is the "renegade" controllers.
The people that need to be affected is the Corporate High Flyers, they are the ones that will put the heat on Albo to do something.
Protected Industrial action is what is required. That will happen soon enough, but there is a process to follow first. Once that is done, then Controllers will make a stand.
That is when things will get interesting.
Christmas, however, is not the time for it.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Dog House
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Launy Tower hours?
Louis Cypher,
There was an agreement which expired last Sunday. This agreement allowed rostering staff out to the max 10 hours covering Tower hours. The troops put forward a roster which was rejected by the 'BS Castle'. This roster would have covered normal hours and no additional cost to the business driven company.
But as an added bonus on some days ( the middle part) you will receive service from the 4 controllers now rostered on duty!!!.
Apparently the safety case drawn up is 'slightly' flawed...............
12 months ago....................
There was an agreement which expired last Sunday. This agreement allowed rostering staff out to the max 10 hours covering Tower hours. The troops put forward a roster which was rejected by the 'BS Castle'. This roster would have covered normal hours and no additional cost to the business driven company.
But as an added bonus on some days ( the middle part) you will receive service from the 4 controllers now rostered on duty!!!.
Apparently the safety case drawn up is 'slightly' flawed...............
12 months ago....................
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Australia
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm still not sure what ASA hoped to achieve with this "reasonable hours" dispute.
Even if the AIRC found entirely in their favour; how was it supposed to work practically.
There are so many reasons we could give for reasonably refusing additional duty, that for the ALMs, it would be an exercise in futility.
The way I read the Annexure of the AIRC decision is that the only change it has made is you may be asked a reason for refusing the additional duty. If they don't accept you're reason, then ASA can notify a dispute with the AIRC. Not much use to them if the vacant shift commences in 2 hours.
As for Funk and Diving Duck's assertions that we've folded a winning hand. Sorry but all we've agreed to is no industrial action. There will still be vacant shifts due staff shortages.
As for
That would have been an own goal I think. Publicly stating an intention to strike prior to expiration of the current CA; ASA would use it as evidence we weren't negotiating in good faith.
Even if the AIRC found entirely in their favour; how was it supposed to work practically.
There are so many reasons we could give for reasonably refusing additional duty, that for the ALMs, it would be an exercise in futility.
The way I read the Annexure of the AIRC decision is that the only change it has made is you may be asked a reason for refusing the additional duty. If they don't accept you're reason, then ASA can notify a dispute with the AIRC. Not much use to them if the vacant shift commences in 2 hours.
As for Funk and Diving Duck's assertions that we've folded a winning hand. Sorry but all we've agreed to is no industrial action. There will still be vacant shifts due staff shortages.
As for
if you had put out the press release a month ago stating that you WILL go out on strike over Christmas, it would have focussed their attention like nothing else.
5 Miles,
G'Day, I think you have that correct with your 'own goal' statement.
That action would have been overpowered by the 'Spin Factory' publicity machine and you would have been presented as 'greedy so and so's' in the eyes of the public.
The challenge will be to simply demonstrate the blanks on the rosters to the Minister direct, or if he is NOT interested, then to the General Public by way of the various media outlets.
That is not Industrial Action. (As far as I am aware...) You are simply stating your case(?)
Once your 'credentials and good intentions' are established, then you are able to progress the matter further.
This should be fairly easy for your union to accomplish, by simply presenting the FACTS.
Rosters - as published - with blanks,
Callouts - the number of callouts and time since last 'off duty', to staff receiving the call.
Total number of OPERATIONAL staff - by location if necessary.
etc etc. The FACTS should be sufficient and self explanatory....IMHO.
Merry Christmas Guys and Gals - especially to those working the 'Doggos'...
I remember them well.....
G'Day, I think you have that correct with your 'own goal' statement.
That action would have been overpowered by the 'Spin Factory' publicity machine and you would have been presented as 'greedy so and so's' in the eyes of the public.
The challenge will be to simply demonstrate the blanks on the rosters to the Minister direct, or if he is NOT interested, then to the General Public by way of the various media outlets.
That is not Industrial Action. (As far as I am aware...) You are simply stating your case(?)
Once your 'credentials and good intentions' are established, then you are able to progress the matter further.
This should be fairly easy for your union to accomplish, by simply presenting the FACTS.
Rosters - as published - with blanks,
Callouts - the number of callouts and time since last 'off duty', to staff receiving the call.
Total number of OPERATIONAL staff - by location if necessary.
etc etc. The FACTS should be sufficient and self explanatory....IMHO.
Merry Christmas Guys and Gals - especially to those working the 'Doggos'...
I remember them well.....
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: NT
Posts: 710
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
5miles, a logical piece.
No one knows who's who on this forum and all I can say is that I'm not an AsA controller - take it or leave it. However, I do have sympathy for their plight and the way that a good organisation has been used and abused.
Regardless of the calls from outsiders for some form of militancy, it would have been plain dumb. I wonder sometimes if the pleas for radical industrial action on this forum don't come from "management". I don't know, but sense, that radical industrial action would "prove" that you're a bunch of recalcitrants and, by extension, that claims of "renegade" controllers undermining services have substance.
From my perspective, your (incompetent) management is running out of options. Don't give them a "get out of jail card".
No one knows who's who on this forum and all I can say is that I'm not an AsA controller - take it or leave it. However, I do have sympathy for their plight and the way that a good organisation has been used and abused.
Regardless of the calls from outsiders for some form of militancy, it would have been plain dumb. I wonder sometimes if the pleas for radical industrial action on this forum don't come from "management". I don't know, but sense, that radical industrial action would "prove" that you're a bunch of recalcitrants and, by extension, that claims of "renegade" controllers undermining services have substance.
From my perspective, your (incompetent) management is running out of options. Don't give them a "get out of jail card".
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: NT
Posts: 710
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DNS,
Good for you, and I accept what you've said. There seems to be a few cool heads around, but I thought that some of the plaintive bleatings about "sticking it up'em" might have prematurely ignited action that would have been to your collective detriment.
The cat can be skinned slowly and there's that old saying about "revenge being a dish that's best eaten cold!"
Good for you, and I accept what you've said. There seems to be a few cool heads around, but I thought that some of the plaintive bleatings about "sticking it up'em" might have prematurely ignited action that would have been to your collective detriment.
The cat can be skinned slowly and there's that old saying about "revenge being a dish that's best eaten cold!"
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Recently Departed
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Calls to stick it to them are often made in frustration! In reality when people cool down and really think about the issue they realise that it is the end outcome which is important.
No one person can bring about the resolution of a new certified agreement. Therefore action, if and when it is warranted, will be conducted legally and in accordance with the constitution of the ATC union, Civil Air.
The road is becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate due to reform in industrial legislation, with large potions yet untested. The large majority of ATC's are very professional, diligent and hardworking. They also hold a great deal of pride in the Australian ATC system.
Industrial action in the current environment is likely to be VERY measured in order to highlight poor management and planning, without creating significant ongoing impediments to the industry and general public, unless there is a well publicised and official Civil Air warning.
General comments on this forum need to be considered in light of this fact. It is often a vent for frustration and thereby unlikely to be either a threat or in reality carried out!
What is of benefit is discussion of facts, to the view of allowing those interested in the general public, to be involved in gaining a more complete understanding of the difficulties facing Australian ATC's.
To my fellow colleges I would encourage you to be measured in your comments from here on, as such forums have in the past been used as evidence in AsA's arguments that there has been "covert industrial action" which has definitely NOT been the case!
It would be a pity to have our bargaining period terminated based upon unfounded threats posted on this forum!
Please keep to the facts.
And before anyone speculates, I am neither a AsA manager nor Union official but just one of many level headed controllers.
No one person can bring about the resolution of a new certified agreement. Therefore action, if and when it is warranted, will be conducted legally and in accordance with the constitution of the ATC union, Civil Air.
The road is becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate due to reform in industrial legislation, with large potions yet untested. The large majority of ATC's are very professional, diligent and hardworking. They also hold a great deal of pride in the Australian ATC system.
Industrial action in the current environment is likely to be VERY measured in order to highlight poor management and planning, without creating significant ongoing impediments to the industry and general public, unless there is a well publicised and official Civil Air warning.
General comments on this forum need to be considered in light of this fact. It is often a vent for frustration and thereby unlikely to be either a threat or in reality carried out!
What is of benefit is discussion of facts, to the view of allowing those interested in the general public, to be involved in gaining a more complete understanding of the difficulties facing Australian ATC's.
To my fellow colleges I would encourage you to be measured in your comments from here on, as such forums have in the past been used as evidence in AsA's arguments that there has been "covert industrial action" which has definitely NOT been the case!
It would be a pity to have our bargaining period terminated based upon unfounded threats posted on this forum!
Please keep to the facts.
And before anyone speculates, I am neither a AsA manager nor Union official but just one of many level headed controllers.
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Far away from home.
Age: 47
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Please keep to the facts.
There has been one missing element to this thread and I feel that I can now speak. I watched my husband change over the years working for ASA, from a happy person able to switch off after work and spend time with me and his family (like I assume the significant other halves have) to a person I hardly knew as he was too buggered to talk or do any thing with me. Yes he use to be called every now and then to cover a shift which was fine at the start but then it changed and it wasn’t a treat anymore. Up until recently I use to worry about him always being asked at the last moment to extend pushing some days in to 10hr shifts, with little break in between before he’d have to be back in the next day or being called in to do an AD when he needed a break. I not only saw the change in him but also his work mates and their families, we all talk and I think that is what has kept us all going. It’s not only the fatigue that worried me but it was also “our lives” when was I going to spend time with my husband? And when was he going to be able to have time for himself?
It was heartbreaking to leave OZ but I’m not sad that I have my husband back. It wasn’t a light decision that was made either, but the way he was treated when he resigned made it a little bit easier. We feel for the group that he left as it has put even more pressure on them, but at the end of the day what was more important?
A company that took over 100 controllers off line and gave them a big fat pay rise to do what?
Or to have my partner back?
I know who has won our match!
The family won in the end
PS. For those who are thinking of leaving do it for the right reasons, its not easy but now we are here life seems to have more possibilities.
And for anyone else these hard working, dedicated professionals that keep our skies safe 24/7 365 days a year remember they too have families just like you.
