'Renegade' controllers leave pilots flying blind: air chief

[Super G]

How many would return?

As a qualified and experienced controller now residing and controlling overseas I have watched with great sadness the situation unfolding in my homeland where good men and women are having their lives and those of their families unnecessarily disrupted by the lack of foresight and downright mismanagement from those who call themselves 'leaders' of AsA.

You see I have had my application on the AsA web site to return to Australia for nearly 4 years, updated only recently, yet the silence from AsA has been deafening.
Without going into too much detail regarding my experience and qualifications lest I be identified by the 'thought police', I have been controlling for the last 11 years in four different countries, trained in Australia by her military, have radar and procedural ratings and experience in tower, approach and area and even moonlight as a commercial pilot with ATPL subjects. Maybe when years ago I politely declined to accept a training position in Melbourne Centre, when I was quite happy in my then position a long way overseas, I may have been black balled?

I'm not the only Aussie expat controller who would like the chance to return to her shores. I know of at least 3 very experienced controllers who are still getting the cold shoulder from AsA. Surely these experienced people could be brought into the AsA training system in very short order in attempt to address the chronic shortages? But I guess when you've got a chief executive who claims 'there is no shortage' then I've probably answered my own question.

Does anybody here either have a desire to return to Australia (and would work for AsA) or know of anyone who would? Might give us all an idea of how many potential experienced bodies are out there who could help alleviate the chronic problems now facing the guys and girls in Oz. Keep your chin up guys. This can't go on forever.

G

[flightfocus]

Super G,

Right now that cold shoulder is a blessing in disguise - things ARE that bad. You would be soon wondering what the hell you were doing here.

The lunatics have taken over (and have been running!) the asylum for some time now...

[Nautilus Blue]

TFN did know about the staffing problems, he just had more important things to do ;

'When I came into this business two and a half years ago I was immediately confronted with a whole range of issues and you can’t always do everything at the same time. What we did in the first instance was to restructure the business and to work on our fundamental systems – our HR systems, our finance systems – which were in need of a great deal of work. At the same time though, I was very mindful of the fact that our air traffic controllers were telling me that there were shortages of staff.'

Azimuth 'Candid CEO Interview' Jan 2008

[SM4 Pirate]

At the same time though, I was very mindful of the fact that our air traffic controllers were telling me that there were shortages of staff.'

And what did he do, ignored it, hoped it went away, thought to himself they are full of sh!t? Cut training and reduced abinitio intakes. Now he's caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Surely he must hand back those massive bonuses he got, funded essentially by budget cuts; the same cuts that have 'crippled' the continuity of business a short 2 years after he made them.

Greg Russell should do the honourable thing and resign; of course he won't.

[KittyKatKaper]

What we did in the first instance was to restructure the business and to work on our fundamental systems – our HR systems, our finance systems – which were in need of a great deal of work

Oh,that quote from Azimuth is priceless !
It implies (to me), that an ATC service (the stuff that the customers actually have to pay for) is not 'fundamental' to ASA.

[aussiegal]

Super G, not sure where you're located but i had heard a couple of ex-ml tcu controllers are coming back later this year, i think they'd relocated to honkers several years ago. It would appear very short sighted to overlook people such as yourself and the others you mention but as i think someone mentioned ..... asylums ..... etc

[ferris]

I was immediately confronted with a whole range of issues and you can’t always do everything at the same time

This guy is the CEO?

ooohhhhh baby!

If he was earning 35k a year, and in charge of the tea trolley, you might accept such a statement.

edit; I retract that last statement. Most tea trolley operators could do several things/everything at once. In particular, they could make tea (their core business).

[max1]

Super G, get your arse back here pronto!!!!!!

[LapSap]

i had heard a couple of ex-ml tcu controllers are coming back later this year, i think they'd relocated to honkers several years ago.

Only a couple?

[undervaluedATC]

from www.civilair.asn.au


Monday, 04 August 2008 Press Release Air Traffic Control and Airspace Closures

Allegations that “renegade” controllers are deliberately masterminding Australian airspace closures by way of unjustified sick leave spike are without substance. In Airservices’ annual “Waypoint” presentation to industry in June, General Manager ATC Jason Harfield observed that “Like all workplaces we are affected by illness and other personnel issues.”

Recently Airservices circulated information internally indicating that sick leave has remained substantially unchanged across the past 3 years but that overtime take up to cover staff absences and systemic staffing shortfalls has decreased. Critically, the number of staff willing to undertake overtime appears to be reducing as Airservices places more and more reliance upon it. Recent figures indicate expected seasonal sick leave patterns. Airservices has acknowledged as recently as this week in several forums that this is not a union coordinated activity preferring to blame a small number of “renegade” employees. Sick leave figures continue to sit at around 11.5 days lost per controller. This figure is above the national average but consistent with other 24 hour 365 day per year occupations.

Airservices seems bent on shifting the blame to those that have been holding a failing system together, rather than accepting the consequences of its own mismanagement of human resources across an extended period of time. Airservices fails to acknowledge the severe effect of long term reliance on overtime upon staff morale, health and welfare. Australian Air Traffic Controllers have supported the system for years during staff shortages whilst various management and operational restructures have reduced staff availability and flexibility. The simple truth is that the system has been unsustainable for some time and shortfalls were dramatically exacerbated by redeployment of a significant number of operational controllers into management and supervisory roles commencing March 2007.

Airservices erroneously quotes a current shortage of 17 controllers but internally estimates that this minimum staffing figure is unsustainable. Further, the proposal to train 100 controllers a year is currently unattainable with the ATC Academy only able to deliver 60 trainees per annum as currently resourced. Constant restructuring in pursuit of apparently unattainable corporate efficiencies is preventing successful recovery from the trouble torn environment we face each and every day. With yet another ATC reform project commencing, we hold grave fears for the future.

Air Traffic Controllers are part of the solution, not the problem.

[BeGoneTFN]

I do believe that the above mentioned press release SAYS IT ALL!

Well done Civil Air, the approach taken to the assault by ASA has been calm, mature and well managed. Let them look like d*ckheads!

[max1]

The latest from ASA in EBA negotiations

"Overtime – they propose a new additional hours provision that an employee has an obligation to work a reasonable amount of additional hours and your ability to refuse to work for reasons associated with health or family etc will be assessed for reasonableness by your manager. Their expectation of what is reasonable is up to one additional shift per fortnight."

This means that on MY ROSTERED DAY OFF, no reserve or standby payments, that if they ring they will assess if my kids footy game, birthday, dance concert, my rest, is important enough to continue with my UNPAID day off or whether they will direct me to come to work. Which way does anyone think they will go when 'assessing'?

What a fantastic employer, "Our People-Our Committment".

ASA have neglected staffing so badly, that they want the power to decide what you now do on your UNPAID day-off. Its one day a fortnight, but they will give you only a couple of hours notice of what day they decide it will be, and expect you to cancel any plans and be obligated to attend.

This is their committment to work/life balance. If I wanted to be a 'beck-and-call boy' I would have taken up the worlds oldest profession. Mind you sometimes I feel like I'm getting the same result.

[BN APP 125.6]

If they think a big stick like that is going to be the approach needed, it just goes to show how delusional and out of touch the millions of managers are.

Maybe it is bathing in that ever deepr bathtub of money coming from airline passengers each day each day.

Perhaps it is a competition amongst the extra 100 (airline funded) managers we now have to see who can be the stupidest.

We must be getting close to a 1:1 Manager:Money Earner ratio surely?

Just imagine if they (still) had ATC licences - we might even be able to keep the airspace open most of the time.

Good idea - get rid of controllers, make them managers and then force the remaining controllers to do more overtime to cover the new shortfall of controllers.

How about.... No. How about you take your stupid ideas and shove them fair and square up your ever fattening bottom line. Come up with something resembling reality if you are serious as you claim about negotiating in good faith. So far all we have seen is a fanciful policy approaching human rights violations that must have been drafted by Peter Reith, Tony Abbott, Heather Ridout, Peter Hendy, John Howard, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Robert Mugabe, Joseph Goebbels, Lucifer & The Solid Gold Dancers whilst they were freebasing some serious combinations of pharmacalogical product.

[Quokka]

How about this for a proposal...

1. Maximum number of shifts in a row that can be rostered or worked, including Standby, excluding Mutual Change of Shift, shall be six shifts. No less than two days off shall be rostered following a shift cycle. No less than four days off shall be rostered following a night shift. No controller shall attend for work following a night shift, including Standby, for a period of four days. No controller shall attend for more than six shifts in any ten day period. No controller shall be called to attend for duty during rostered days off.

2. One Standby Shift (Grey Day or Grey Evening) shall be rostered per month and shall be included in the normal rostered shift cycle.

3. Rosters shall be published three months in advance and shall include a period of twelve months of rostered shifts and Recreation Leave.

4. 48 days Annual Recreation Leave each year. No leave to be carried forward to subsequent years.

Pick a salary that is commensurate to what you are earning now with overtime and Market Forces determine. That is the salary that every controller, regardless of years-of-service, or position in the ATC management-determined social pecking order, will be paid. No management-discretion progression through increments.

Nothing left to interpretation and manipulation will result in no dispute, no harassment, no adversarial relationship... no morale problem. The service gets provided and everyone is happy.

Keep It Simple.

[ferris]

The only further suggestion I can offer is the introduction of an ATC allowence. ie. if you are in a traffic separating position, you get an allowence of say, $50k per year. Then they could have a 'salary' component of say, $130k per year plus the allowence for those who actually have sep responsibilities. That way, managers can earn more than their underlings, say $140k per year, and everyone would be happy.
Govt happy- can announce salary reductions across the organisation
Controllers happy- more money at the end of the day
Managers happy- their salary is higher than their subordinates, and they wont feel guilty about collecting huge salaries when their actual responsibilities dont' warrant it (not separating traffic, not working shiftwork etc. Basically at the level of a call centre team leader- except paid more for some reason).

[Jungmeister]

Ferris,

As a "former ATCO" presumably in OZ you will no doubt remember that is how it always used to be. Do you also remember the quality of people who were inclined to be "managers"? Do you remember when the ATC system was managed by Engineers? Do you remember the mutterings from all the talented people in the field?
The workers are never likely to be happy - no matter what the system.
J

[Quokka]

The workers are never likely to be happy - no matter what the system.

I agree... but it's the difference between watching them walk out the door... or staying and plugging in at the console, bitter and twisted or not. Which scenario do we need now?

[ferris]

J.

I agree that if being a manager will get you a pay reduction, then there are not going to be a lot of people interested. But where has paying managers more got the organisation? I really can't see the justification in having SO MANY people, not holding ratings, and getting paid SO MUCH. If AsA is truly a business, where does it get off paying people who are effectively doing the job of a call-centre team leader, getting paid close to 200k? It is my understanding that people who are not ATCs are now ALMs, so having a license isn't important. What justifies the salary? The organisation is screaming out for controllers- closing airpsace etc in INTERNATIONALLY EMBARRASSING FASHION, so there has to be something seriously wrong when they haven't got every man, woman and child capable of holding a rating, doing so.

But everyone who works there knows that. What will it take for the board or the minister to act? Instead, AsA pretends to enter EBA negotiations by telling the controllers what AsA wants to remove in the way of T&C? Unf***ing believable! Maybe some managers could go on a fact-finding trip around the world to see how actual businesses attract and retain talent? This stuff is brain-surgery, for sure.

The REALLY, REALLY sad thing is it could be a great place to work.

[Baileys]

The Australian - Air restrictions fly in face of safety claims

August 11, 2008

THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority will restrict the number of passenger jets flying through uncontrolled skies, contradicting the Government's claims that the practice is perfectly safe.

The move is the first tacit admission by authorities that the risk of a mid-air collision in uncontrolled airspace in unacceptably high and that something needs to be done.

CASA has called on the air traffic control manager of Airservices Australia to place new restrictions on airspace when there is no air traffic controller available to monitor that portion of sky.

The move follows a series of articles in The Australian that have disclosed the dangers of uncontrolled airspace, highlighting safety warnings from pilots, air traffic controllers and aviation experts.

A shortage of air traffic controllers has increasingly left large parts of Australian skies uncontrolled, forcing pilots to rely on other pilots to avoid mid-air collisions.

The government-owned ASA has said repeatedly that the practice of flying in uncontrolled airspace, using only radio and visual sightings, is safe. But CASA now wants ASA to declare all uncontrolled airspace a "temporary restricted area" -- meaning no plane can fly in or out of this airspace without approval. This gives authorities a way to limit the number of planes that enter uncontrolled airspace and separate them more precisely before they enter the uncontrolled zone.

It means pilots will still be flying blind but with fewer other aircraft in the vicinity and better spacing, reducing the chances of a mid-air collision.

However, the new system could cause delays to those aircraft which are not approved to fly through the uncontrolled zone, adding to costs and inconvenience to passengers.

"We have asked (ASA) to look at TRA as an alternative to (uncontrolled airspace) because it gives a greater ability to be aware of all the traffic in that airspace," said CASA spokesman Peter Gibson.

A spokesman for ASA, Richard Dudley, said the service agreed late last week to CASA's request for uncontrolled airspace in Australia to be designated as TRA.

CASA has been increasingly frustrated by the air safety implications arising from a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The shortage has come about through mismanagement by ASA, which has failed to recruit enough controllers to offset large numbers of retirements and poaching from overseas.

ASA accuses air traffic controllers of contributing to the problem by calling in sick and refusing to work extra shifts in an effort to highlight the shortage and help their forthcoming wage claim.

Last Friday, a massive area of airspace between Brisbane and Cairns was left uncontrolled between midnight and 5.30am after a controller called in sick.

According to an ASA "service interruption" report on the incident, six other controllers declined to cover the sick man's shift while four others were uncontactable.

ASA head Greg Russell has accused a small group of "renegade" controllers of leaving the skies uncontrolled to boost their industrial clout in looming wage negotiations.

But the air traffic control union, Civil Air, says ASA is looking to deflect blame for its own failings. "Airservices seems bent on shifting the blame to those who have been holding a failing system together, rather than accepting the consequences of its own mismanagement of human resources across an extended period of time," Civil Air president Robert Mason said.

The Sydney tower alone has lost four controllers through resignation or retirement in the past two weeks.

[Super G]

mmmmmmm..........on second thoughts, I think I'll just stay here and sail, dive and fish on my days off. How do I withdraw that application...........??

Great article. At least someone in the press has finally used the words 'AsA' and 'mismanagement' in the same sentence.

Good luck to you guys.........would the last one to leave please turn off the runway lights..............

G