'Renegade' controllers leave pilots flying blind: air chief
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'Renegade' controllers leave pilots flying blind: air chief
The Age July 26, 2008
A GROUP of "renegade" air traffic controllers in Melbourne and Brisbane are deliberately closing air space, leaving pilots to fend for themselves on some of the nation's busiest air routes, according to the head of the agency that manages Australia's skies.
The chief executive of Airservices Australia, Greg Russell, said it appeared a massive increase in incidents in which air space sectors had suddenly been left with no air traffic control was linked to an industrial campaign for big wage rises.
Mr Russell said he did not believe the campaign was authorised by the air traffic controllers' union, Civil Air, and he did not believe most controllers were part of it.
"I do think there are a small number of renegades who are involved in this activity," he said.
There were only seven incidents in which control of air space sectors had been interrupted in the 22 months between January 2006 and October 2007, rising to a whopping 135 in the eight months since, he said.
The union's executive secretary, Peter McGuane, emphatically denied any campaign, accusing Airservices of "desperate spin-doctoring".
"There is an acknowledged shortage of air traffic controllers, there is no campaign and our people are sick of being harassed to work on their days off," Mr McGuane said.
In many of the incidents, air traffic controllers in Melbourne and Brisbane have suddenly declared themselves sick and when their colleagues have been contacted in an effort to find replacements, no one has been available.
Air traffic controllers won the right to unlimited sick leave in the 1990s and are required to give only two hours' notice of their unavailability to work. The rate of absenteeism among air traffic controllers is an average of more than 15 days a year - about three times the national average.
The federal Minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese, also made plain this week he was convinced the rate of uncontrolled air space was linked to the air traffic controllers' industrial campaign.
"It is a fact that Civil Air, the air traffic control union, is engaged in industrial negotiation at the moment over a wages agreement," Mr Albanese told Brisbane radio 4BC. "At the same time, there appears to be a situation whereby you've had a number of people not turning up for work in order to create a situation which causes some difficulty."
Many industry figures point to an anonymous blog circulated on the internet last November - just as the incidence of uncontrolled air space shot from one to 21 occurrences in a month - that exhorted air traffic controllers to refuse to relieve colleagues who had reported sick.
The blog said the Government would only react to public pressure and media interest, which would only be gained when airline schedules were disrupted or air space was closed.
"Turn off your phone; don't answer unknown phone numbers; if you are contacted advise you have a 'family commitment', 'have had a drink', are 'too tired' or simply 'unavailable'," the blog advised.
Mr Russell has refused until now to criticise air traffic controllers or to link their industrial campaign to the spike in uncontrolled sectors.
However, the controllers' certified industrial agreement expires on December 21 and while their union has not yet made a formal log of claims, it has issued a "vision statement" that calls for pay rises ranging from about 30% to 64%.
Mr Russell said such figures were clearly not realistic when Qantas long-haul pilots had received a 3% rise, private sector wage outcomes were about 3.8% and the public sector was receiving rises of about 4.2%.
He also pointed to the cost to airlines, which pay Airservices Australia to manage the skies on behalf of the Federal Government.
Most Australian domestic airlines refuse to fly through uncontrolled air space, meaning that at a time when fuel costs are cutting deeply into profits, the requirement to fly around black areas causes immense financial pain.
A regular passenger jet such as a Boeing 737 flying from Melbourne to Sydney requires an extra two tonnes of aviation fuel to fly around what is known as the Canberra sector if it is closed - a broad area between Canberra and Sydney's southern suburbs. With aviation fuel at $1.90 a litre, this equates to an extra $3800 for the journey.
Many international airlines flying in to Australia from Asia have had no choice but to fly through uncontrolled space because they were already in the air when control closed down.
In one incident last month, the entire northern approach to Australia from Queensland to Darwin was uncontrolled after three air traffic controllers in Brisbane called in sick. Fourteen of their colleagues were called in an effort to find replacements, but all were unavailable or uncontactable. The result was that dozens of airliners carrying thousands of passengers had to rely on pilots advising each other of their positions with no assistance from the ground.
Despite claims by the union that the problem was caused by a big shortage of controllers, the figures provided by Airservices Australia show the average number of controllers has not changed significantly over the past three years.
The union claims the system is 100 controllers short. Mr Russell concedes a shortage of 17, but believes the problem will be overcome within a month.
A GROUP of "renegade" air traffic controllers in Melbourne and Brisbane are deliberately closing air space, leaving pilots to fend for themselves on some of the nation's busiest air routes, according to the head of the agency that manages Australia's skies.
The chief executive of Airservices Australia, Greg Russell, said it appeared a massive increase in incidents in which air space sectors had suddenly been left with no air traffic control was linked to an industrial campaign for big wage rises.
Mr Russell said he did not believe the campaign was authorised by the air traffic controllers' union, Civil Air, and he did not believe most controllers were part of it.
"I do think there are a small number of renegades who are involved in this activity," he said.
There were only seven incidents in which control of air space sectors had been interrupted in the 22 months between January 2006 and October 2007, rising to a whopping 135 in the eight months since, he said.
The union's executive secretary, Peter McGuane, emphatically denied any campaign, accusing Airservices of "desperate spin-doctoring".
"There is an acknowledged shortage of air traffic controllers, there is no campaign and our people are sick of being harassed to work on their days off," Mr McGuane said.
In many of the incidents, air traffic controllers in Melbourne and Brisbane have suddenly declared themselves sick and when their colleagues have been contacted in an effort to find replacements, no one has been available.
Air traffic controllers won the right to unlimited sick leave in the 1990s and are required to give only two hours' notice of their unavailability to work. The rate of absenteeism among air traffic controllers is an average of more than 15 days a year - about three times the national average.
The federal Minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese, also made plain this week he was convinced the rate of uncontrolled air space was linked to the air traffic controllers' industrial campaign.
"It is a fact that Civil Air, the air traffic control union, is engaged in industrial negotiation at the moment over a wages agreement," Mr Albanese told Brisbane radio 4BC. "At the same time, there appears to be a situation whereby you've had a number of people not turning up for work in order to create a situation which causes some difficulty."
Many industry figures point to an anonymous blog circulated on the internet last November - just as the incidence of uncontrolled air space shot from one to 21 occurrences in a month - that exhorted air traffic controllers to refuse to relieve colleagues who had reported sick.
The blog said the Government would only react to public pressure and media interest, which would only be gained when airline schedules were disrupted or air space was closed.
"Turn off your phone; don't answer unknown phone numbers; if you are contacted advise you have a 'family commitment', 'have had a drink', are 'too tired' or simply 'unavailable'," the blog advised.
Mr Russell has refused until now to criticise air traffic controllers or to link their industrial campaign to the spike in uncontrolled sectors.
However, the controllers' certified industrial agreement expires on December 21 and while their union has not yet made a formal log of claims, it has issued a "vision statement" that calls for pay rises ranging from about 30% to 64%.
Mr Russell said such figures were clearly not realistic when Qantas long-haul pilots had received a 3% rise, private sector wage outcomes were about 3.8% and the public sector was receiving rises of about 4.2%.
He also pointed to the cost to airlines, which pay Airservices Australia to manage the skies on behalf of the Federal Government.
Most Australian domestic airlines refuse to fly through uncontrolled air space, meaning that at a time when fuel costs are cutting deeply into profits, the requirement to fly around black areas causes immense financial pain.
A regular passenger jet such as a Boeing 737 flying from Melbourne to Sydney requires an extra two tonnes of aviation fuel to fly around what is known as the Canberra sector if it is closed - a broad area between Canberra and Sydney's southern suburbs. With aviation fuel at $1.90 a litre, this equates to an extra $3800 for the journey.
Many international airlines flying in to Australia from Asia have had no choice but to fly through uncontrolled space because they were already in the air when control closed down.
In one incident last month, the entire northern approach to Australia from Queensland to Darwin was uncontrolled after three air traffic controllers in Brisbane called in sick. Fourteen of their colleagues were called in an effort to find replacements, but all were unavailable or uncontactable. The result was that dozens of airliners carrying thousands of passengers had to rely on pilots advising each other of their positions with no assistance from the ground.
Despite claims by the union that the problem was caused by a big shortage of controllers, the figures provided by Airservices Australia show the average number of controllers has not changed significantly over the past three years.
The union claims the system is 100 controllers short. Mr Russell concedes a shortage of 17, but believes the problem will be overcome within a month.
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TIBA has got worse lately because of the acceleration in retirements.
These retirements have not suddenly occurred but most have been planned for over 10 years. i.e. A controller at say age 45 decides that he will have had enough by age 55.
From the outside looking in, it appears to me that ASA management has failed to recruit adequately to cover even planned retirements, let alone the “defections” to more lucrative overseas posts.
A suggestion to make TIBA less palatable for ASA managers is to impose a substantial monetary fine on their collective bonuses every time a TIBA occurs, I suggest that instead of the spin doctoring and posturing that is currently occurring, a solution may become closer to hand.
As an aside to working on days off, whilst I can’t quote the precise reg/s (which I am sure are similar to those applicable to pilots), it is an offence to attend or attempt to attend duty, whilst fatigued, stressed etc, More importantly it is an offence under the Commonwealth Crimes act, to coerce or attempt to coerce a person to break any regulation, therefore if an ASA manager attempts to “pressure” a person to attend work outside of their rostered shift, they are committing a criminal offence, and should be subject to the full force of the law.
These retirements have not suddenly occurred but most have been planned for over 10 years. i.e. A controller at say age 45 decides that he will have had enough by age 55.
From the outside looking in, it appears to me that ASA management has failed to recruit adequately to cover even planned retirements, let alone the “defections” to more lucrative overseas posts.
A suggestion to make TIBA less palatable for ASA managers is to impose a substantial monetary fine on their collective bonuses every time a TIBA occurs, I suggest that instead of the spin doctoring and posturing that is currently occurring, a solution may become closer to hand.
As an aside to working on days off, whilst I can’t quote the precise reg/s (which I am sure are similar to those applicable to pilots), it is an offence to attend or attempt to attend duty, whilst fatigued, stressed etc, More importantly it is an offence under the Commonwealth Crimes act, to coerce or attempt to coerce a person to break any regulation, therefore if an ASA manager attempts to “pressure” a person to attend work outside of their rostered shift, they are committing a criminal offence, and should be subject to the full force of the law.
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14 controllers off, bollocks
"In one incident last month, the entire northern approach to Australia from Queensland to Darwin was uncontrolled after three air traffic controllers in Brisbane called in sick. Fourteen of their colleagues were called in an effort to find replacements, but all were unavailable or uncontactable."
An informal look at the staffing sheet for that day .... 6 of those 14 people where actually in the middle of their annual leave (a roster anomaly that shows people as being rostered off rather than on leave), others were off the night shift (i.e. had finished work at 6am that morning, one of whom allegedly wasn't called), others were not "rated" or "licensed" to do all of those sectors, so out of 14 you probably really only have 4 possible calls.
More spin from the spindoctors.
An informal look at the staffing sheet for that day .... 6 of those 14 people where actually in the middle of their annual leave (a roster anomaly that shows people as being rostered off rather than on leave), others were off the night shift (i.e. had finished work at 6am that morning, one of whom allegedly wasn't called), others were not "rated" or "licensed" to do all of those sectors, so out of 14 you probably really only have 4 possible calls.
More spin from the spindoctors.
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Lets not forget the Voluntary Redundancy that was offered due to the restructure. Who could believe that when the staffing is so bad, ASA would allow a restructure to go ahead that has to involve VR!
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CEO abuse
When a company CEO refers to his staff as
- indecent, unprofessional in an internal staff magazine interview (for choosing not to come in on their day/s off),
- renegade in a noted newspaper (for choosing not to come in on their day/s off or for being, heaven forbid sick),
- rorters for essentially concurring with a Senator in the Senate Estimate Committee who referred to ATC's as being sick leave rorters,
he is essentially displaying a blatant disregard for them, for him to suggest that a dozen people are to blame and then wonder why ATC's are reluctant to come in to work on their day off ....... no clue!!
It would be really nice, in an ideal world, if the actual story could be reported, or perhaps both sides of the story reported fairly.
If anyone gives a toss, here's my side, i have taken great exception to being referred to as renegade, indecent, unprofessional, and a rorter. All attributable to the CEO. For the past 5 years i have done between 15-20 extra shifts a year, 5 years, not 8 months, or whatever figure you want to suggest is attributable to a "campaign". Now Greg, you get my rostered shifts and that's it. It's all down to you.
- indecent, unprofessional in an internal staff magazine interview (for choosing not to come in on their day/s off),
- renegade in a noted newspaper (for choosing not to come in on their day/s off or for being, heaven forbid sick),
- rorters for essentially concurring with a Senator in the Senate Estimate Committee who referred to ATC's as being sick leave rorters,
he is essentially displaying a blatant disregard for them, for him to suggest that a dozen people are to blame and then wonder why ATC's are reluctant to come in to work on their day off ....... no clue!!
It would be really nice, in an ideal world, if the actual story could be reported, or perhaps both sides of the story reported fairly.
If anyone gives a toss, here's my side, i have taken great exception to being referred to as renegade, indecent, unprofessional, and a rorter. All attributable to the CEO. For the past 5 years i have done between 15-20 extra shifts a year, 5 years, not 8 months, or whatever figure you want to suggest is attributable to a "campaign". Now Greg, you get my rostered shifts and that's it. It's all down to you.
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This is stock-standard CEO spin.
It roughly translates as "I don't like you for not being at my beck-and-call 24/7, not working yourselves completely into the ground, and being so insolent as to insist that you should actually get some time off work occasionally".
Stock-standard CEO spin is used when the CEO has cut staffing levels to the bone to save money, and all of a sudden finds himelf in a bind and under pressure from external sources to explain why the wheels are falling off under his watch.
It roughly translates as "I don't like you for not being at my beck-and-call 24/7, not working yourselves completely into the ground, and being so insolent as to insist that you should actually get some time off work occasionally".
Stock-standard CEO spin is used when the CEO has cut staffing levels to the bone to save money, and all of a sudden finds himelf in a bind and under pressure from external sources to explain why the wheels are falling off under his watch.
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TIBA is not a result of looking forward at the upcoming EBA, but actually looking back at the way we have been used and ignored for the last 10 years.
We are actually recompensed for coming in our days off, but are tired of having to do it.
Tired of telling them for years there is a staffing problem.
Tired of being told for years that there is no staffing problem.
Tired of BS press releases that say that ASA were unaware of the problem.
Tired of assurances that they are now aware and it is now being addressed.
Tired of bloated management structures.
Tired of being tired.
Tired of letting our families down.
Tired of not being released for jobs we have won.
Tired of weasel words.
And Tired of being slandered in the media.
ASA have said they are recruiting 95 controllers this year and 100 next year, THEY ARE NOT. They are ATTEMPTING to recruit TRAINEES. They want people who have a degree (to show they can study),and who have some workforce experience (to show they can work) for this they are willing to offer $35k p.a. There is no guarantee they will get through after 18 months. Washout is tracking around 50%.
The people we REALLY need, are already probably earning around $50k and are smart enough to realise why take a drop in pay to work for that, and have no guarantee of a job, and then take 13 years to get to the ceiling(@135k), work shiftwork, Xmas , Easter, and can be rung 24/7/ 365 to attend . The people we really want will probably be making our top money in 10 years where they are with no ceiling and no shiftwork.
The 63% quoted payrise was not suggested for CONTROLLERS, it was suggested to attract suitable applicants to get them to apply. We are not asking for 63%. We suggested somewhere over $52K would be what ASA should be advertising to get the right people, so we don't waste expensive training resources on people who can't make it.
The spin doctors leapt on this and fed it to their tame reporter mates getting them to quote 63%,63%,63% which I notice has now crept to 64% in The Age article .
Since then its all been about ASA damage control. You can only keep drawing on your controllers goodwill, and pride in keeing the airspace open for so long, and ASA passed it about 12 months ago. When they took 106 controllers off the line by offering up to 100% pay increases to sign AWAs and become managers Some have less than 2 years experience.
They no longer manage aircraft, they manage 'people' , it is about one $160-185k manager to 10 controllers.
Who is co-erced into yet again filling the management induced holes in the roster?
I have had enough, I am looking back 10 years, not looking forward to an EBA that is still 5 months away.
When ASA own up to their mistakes, and I CAN SEE (not BS press releases that have no basis in fact) that they are taking REAL steps to address the staffing problems that they have created, and that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't another freight train, then I will be willing to leave my family and work on MY DAYS OFF to alleviate TIBA.
We are actually recompensed for coming in our days off, but are tired of having to do it.
Tired of telling them for years there is a staffing problem.
Tired of being told for years that there is no staffing problem.
Tired of BS press releases that say that ASA were unaware of the problem.
Tired of assurances that they are now aware and it is now being addressed.
Tired of bloated management structures.
Tired of being tired.
Tired of letting our families down.
Tired of not being released for jobs we have won.
Tired of weasel words.
And Tired of being slandered in the media.
ASA have said they are recruiting 95 controllers this year and 100 next year, THEY ARE NOT. They are ATTEMPTING to recruit TRAINEES. They want people who have a degree (to show they can study),and who have some workforce experience (to show they can work) for this they are willing to offer $35k p.a. There is no guarantee they will get through after 18 months. Washout is tracking around 50%.
The people we REALLY need, are already probably earning around $50k and are smart enough to realise why take a drop in pay to work for that, and have no guarantee of a job, and then take 13 years to get to the ceiling(@135k), work shiftwork, Xmas , Easter, and can be rung 24/7/ 365 to attend . The people we really want will probably be making our top money in 10 years where they are with no ceiling and no shiftwork.
The 63% quoted payrise was not suggested for CONTROLLERS, it was suggested to attract suitable applicants to get them to apply. We are not asking for 63%. We suggested somewhere over $52K would be what ASA should be advertising to get the right people, so we don't waste expensive training resources on people who can't make it.
The spin doctors leapt on this and fed it to their tame reporter mates getting them to quote 63%,63%,63% which I notice has now crept to 64% in The Age article .
Since then its all been about ASA damage control. You can only keep drawing on your controllers goodwill, and pride in keeing the airspace open for so long, and ASA passed it about 12 months ago. When they took 106 controllers off the line by offering up to 100% pay increases to sign AWAs and become managers Some have less than 2 years experience.
They no longer manage aircraft, they manage 'people' , it is about one $160-185k manager to 10 controllers.
Who is co-erced into yet again filling the management induced holes in the roster?
I have had enough, I am looking back 10 years, not looking forward to an EBA that is still 5 months away.
When ASA own up to their mistakes, and I CAN SEE (not BS press releases that have no basis in fact) that they are taking REAL steps to address the staffing problems that they have created, and that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't another freight train, then I will be willing to leave my family and work on MY DAYS OFF to alleviate TIBA.
Last edited by max1; 26th Jul 2008 at 12:52.
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DutchRoll,
Stock-standard CEO spin is used when the CEO has cut staffing levels to the bone to save money, and all of a sudden finds himelf in a bind and under pressure from external sources to explain why the wheels are falling off under his watch.
His/Her Performance Agreement would also encourage staff stripping so he can get a bonus!!
As an ex APS that was "VR'd" I reckon the APS has actively been downsized since the late 1980 to save the Commonwealth finding "un funded" Superannuation and Employer Contributions.
Mike McInerney
Stock-standard CEO spin is used when the CEO has cut staffing levels to the bone to save money, and all of a sudden finds himelf in a bind and under pressure from external sources to explain why the wheels are falling off under his watch.
His/Her Performance Agreement would also encourage staff stripping so he can get a bonus!!
As an ex APS that was "VR'd" I reckon the APS has actively been downsized since the late 1980 to save the Commonwealth finding "un funded" Superannuation and Employer Contributions.
Mike McInerney
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Max 1
Excellent post.
It would be good to see your post sent to the papers.
I am enjoying my days off without any feeling of guilt.
TFN has no idea how much he has destroyed any remaining good will I have to this shame of a company.
Excellent post.
It would be good to see your post sent to the papers.I am enjoying my days off without any feeling of guilt.
TFN has no idea how much he has destroyed any remaining good will I have to this shame of a company.
Is there still a requirement that you guys do "reasonable" overtime? It used to be defined as 1 per fortnight from memory.
Can't belive you guys are still doing more than that ... considering the current attacks
Can't belive you guys are still doing more than that ... considering the current attacks
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From the current Certified Agreement...
4.3.1 We expect that you will work a reasonable amount of additional hours if the requirement becomes necessary. You may choose not to work additional hours in circumstances where the working of such hours would result in you working hours which are unreasonable after consideration of:
(a) Any risk to your health and safety;
(b) Your personal circumstances including any family responsibilities;
(c) The needs of the workplace;
(d) The notice given by us and by you of your intention to choose not to work the additional hours; and
(e) Any other relevant matter.
There is no definition of "reasonable amount" in the agreement. ATC's are just exercising their right to refuse additional hours as allowed for in this clause.
(a) Any risk to your health and safety;
(b) Your personal circumstances including any family responsibilities;
(c) The needs of the workplace;
(d) The notice given by us and by you of your intention to choose not to work the additional hours; and
(e) Any other relevant matter.
There is no definition of "reasonable amount" in the agreement. ATC's are just exercising their right to refuse additional hours as allowed for in this clause.
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Listen up TFN
Said it once, say it again.
Just because I work shift work why should I be any less entitled to my days off than you are,especially as this entire situation has been your doing. Its by design, don't go looking to blame anyone else, stand up and take whats comming to you.
This spin is to hide the disaster you have presided over, wake up to yourself you are finished as a senior manager in aviation.
BgTFN
Just because I work shift work why should I be any less entitled to my days off than you are,especially as this entire situation has been your doing. Its by design, don't go looking to blame anyone else, stand up and take whats comming to you.
This spin is to hide the disaster you have presided over, wake up to yourself you are finished as a senior manager in aviation.
BgTFN
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All stations Brisbane, etc, Hazard Alert....
CEO insulting you, blaming bad apples, questioning your professionalism, your commitment, generally 'crying foul"?
When the 'other guy' starts playing the man and not the ball, it means only one thing - Your campaign for safer airspace is working.
Stick to your guns. Maintain your objective.
FWIW, you have more than a few friends on the other side of the R/T.
CEO insulting you, blaming bad apples, questioning your professionalism, your commitment, generally 'crying foul"?
When the 'other guy' starts playing the man and not the ball, it means only one thing - Your campaign for safer airspace is working.
Stick to your guns. Maintain your objective.
FWIW, you have more than a few friends on the other side of the R/T.
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Civil Air have released a 'promotional video' to drum up interest in their position. See it here. 4.1MB
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ITCZ
ROFLMAO....I presume that you will not be holding your breath to hear the above broadcast on Flightwatch frequencies beacuse ausfic is closer to 20% short staffed than the controllers 10+% and NOTAM off FW each weekday.
And that was direct result of TFN's decisions too.
Last one out, please turn off the lights....
Slug
All stations Brisbane, etc, Hazard Alert....
ROFLMAO....I presume that you will not be holding your breath to hear the above broadcast on Flightwatch frequencies beacuse ausfic is closer to 20% short staffed than the controllers 10+% and NOTAM off FW each weekday.
And that was direct result of TFN's decisions too.
Last one out, please turn off the lights....
Slug
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Again this sh!thead offends me GRRRRRR!
A portion of the blame has to go towards SDE, an acronym for something, erm, I've forgotten. Stand Down Eventually, or Seriouly Disadvantage Employees, or something. They tore apart the stable group structure we had and have not yet completed it's replacement. Nobody has ever identified any advantage to anybody for the end result, nor any sensible way to get ther. We have far more people working weekends & night shifts than we used to or need to because the sector groupings make no sort of sense. Some of those have the joy of coming to work to do absolutely nothing, so why wouldn't they be a bit less keen to do so on their days off than they were a year ago? Those that do work can work quite hard (for the night-shift-partially-disabled brain anyhow) and get to see everybody else slumped over their consoles. Which fahkwit was it that proposed SDE again???
It also doesn't help that we used to get called for extra shifts by one of us, a controller that also happened to be a Team Leader. Now with a ludicrously and overtly hostile management, as exampled by the chief peanut's rant above, we get called by the first rank of the enemy
A portion of the blame has to go towards SDE, an acronym for something, erm, I've forgotten. Stand Down Eventually, or Seriouly Disadvantage Employees, or something. They tore apart the stable group structure we had and have not yet completed it's replacement. Nobody has ever identified any advantage to anybody for the end result, nor any sensible way to get ther. We have far more people working weekends & night shifts than we used to or need to because the sector groupings make no sort of sense. Some of those have the joy of coming to work to do absolutely nothing, so why wouldn't they be a bit less keen to do so on their days off than they were a year ago? Those that do work can work quite hard (for the night-shift-partially-disabled brain anyhow) and get to see everybody else slumped over their consoles. Which fahkwit was it that proposed SDE again???
It also doesn't help that we used to get called for extra shifts by one of us, a controller that also happened to be a Team Leader. Now with a ludicrously and overtly hostile management, as exampled by the chief peanut's rant above, we get called by the first rank of the enemy
SDE: Whos' responsible?
Hey, Spod...
Good to see you are still alive down south, wasn't sure you had not jumped ship so to speak....
SDE Which &*&%wit is responsible...
You mean you really don't know...
Apologies but he was from BN Centre (yep I'm shamed to say it)..
The Game Show Host of course...Should have been sacked for it.....Don't wait for him to resign....obviously doesn't have the ethics or morals...
And of course TFN treats him like his first born!!!
Just two of the 6 that must go in Levels 1,2 and 3...
Not counting any board members of course.
EnRoute_BrisbaNe
Good to see you are still alive down south, wasn't sure you had not jumped ship so to speak....
SDE Which &*&%wit is responsible...
You mean you really don't know...
Apologies but he was from BN Centre (yep I'm shamed to say it)..
The Game Show Host of course...Should have been sacked for it.....Don't wait for him to resign....obviously doesn't have the ethics or morals...
And of course TFN treats him like his first born!!!
Just two of the 6 that must go in Levels 1,2 and 3...
Not counting any board members of course.
EnRoute_BrisbaNe
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To Peter Gibson (CASA),
TIBA is NOT "less efficient," it IS LESS SAFE - have the guts to admit it!
To Greg Russell,
You were told 6 years ago of an impending shortage and chose to ignore it - for financial reasons or otherwise?? Have the guts to now fall on your sword.
Congratulations to you guys and the government for turning Australia's skies into a banana republic style hit and miss exercise. ICAO and IFALPA have said it all.
TIBA is NOT "less efficient," it IS LESS SAFE - have the guts to admit it!
To Greg Russell,
You were told 6 years ago of an impending shortage and chose to ignore it - for financial reasons or otherwise?? Have the guts to now fall on your sword.
Congratulations to you guys and the government for turning Australia's skies into a banana republic style hit and miss exercise. ICAO and IFALPA have said it all.