Merged: ASA Staff Shortage
 

In a brilliant move, ASA CEO Greg Russell has solved the ATC staffing shortage. He has shamed the controllers into giving up what was clearly orchestrated industrial action.

It's good news for all concerned. There will be no more TIBA. There is no shortage, and the non-existent shortage that isn't there will be solved within a month. The sooner controllers, sorry, renegades give up on their industrial agenda and work on more of their days off, the better off everyone with at-risk remuneration will be.
http://http://www.theage.com.au/nati...0725-3l2x.html

I have to say, it is a brilliant HR strategy. All those planning on, or thinking about, resigning will appreciate the clear leadership shown. Anyone thinking about having a day off needs to think about their priorities, as well.

I am certain Kerry O'Brien would love to have Greg on for an interview to gain further insight into his awesome leadership. Greg should probably attend Senate Estimates and correct the outright incompetence displayed by Mr. Harfield when he LIED to the committee and told them there was an over-reliance by AsA on overtime.


Just awesome.

for those not in the know reading the article where it says "service interruptions have soared in frequency in the last 8 months"

hmm.... if memory serves, that was about the time that 108 controllers were "promoted" into Line managers, who no longer control traffic.... but I'm sure there's no correlation there. At all.

From that articleDoes that mean that managers will be told to go back and work traffic ?

It is also interesting that you can date the sudden upsurge in TIBA almost to the day of the last SDE changes. Before that, TIBA was almost unheard of.
One of the few occurrences was in the mid to late 90's in the old Melbourne Centre - there was a social function organised by the Team Leader for those sectors that went TIBA and no replacements could be found for the controllers who went "sick" on that particular Saturday night. That TL just happens to be a current GM.
What is particularly galling about the current situation is that 2nd, 3rd and even 4th level managers who not so long ago were willing to partake of the sick leave entitlements available to controllers are now the most vocal in condemning current controllers for exercising those entitlements and, indeed, obligations.
Looks like it is now "two legs good, four legs bad".

undervaluedATC,

lets not forget those controllers that had to give up half their endorsements with the introduction of the wonderfully inefficient Service Delivery Environment.

Also JH in his Waypoint speech said that 15700 (1.4 per staff member per month) shifts were lost to absenteeism from a workforce of 900 yet those nine hundred only averaged 1.2 OT shifts per month equating to OT of 12960 shifts by my calculations. Surely with 2740 unfilled shifts plus another 4500 odd for the 18 positions short (total average of 19.8 a day) we would have seen even more TIBA. Unless of course someone has fudged the numbers hoping no one would look into it too closely.

My feeling is that sick leave numbers have been overstated and OT numbers understated to pin this on controllers. Even the delivery demonstrates this, sick leave in one large sum, OT divided up on a per controller per month basis. Classic spin doctoring.

It's a shame that the media either push their agenda or fall for spin. Though maybe I'm just a conspiracy theorist, after all, I'm apparently a renegade.

Good point Driscoll, thanks for reminding me. To clarify for our readers, this is a seperate group of controllers from the promoted ALM's who were told to go and cross-train on new airspace to enable SDE - since there are only so many hours in the day, they could not maintain recency on their old airspace, so there were even less qualified staff to fill any absences. Something which was pointed out to proponents of SDE prior to the event, BTW.

JH conveniently forgot to mention that the 15700 shifts lost to absenteeism included those on long term sick leave (cancer, stress and the like).

From his (JH) own figures, only 38% of overtime is due to sick leave. 38% is for staff shortage and the remainder is for training and leave etc. Now to me (and anyone for that matter), training and leave are a requirement of the roster so therefore are covered by staff shortage(nice spin JH). This means that a STAGGERING 62% of overtime is to cover staff shortages due insufficient total numbers BEFORE SICK LEAVE.

Now, as per more of his figures, each staff member has 1.5 days extra attendance a month allocated to them to cover the needs of the ALM. With this now additional 62% Due Staff Shortage on top of that, that an additional 1.7 days is required. Now, as that adds up to 3.2 which is more than 3, just as the absolute base requirement per controller is 4 days a month overtime just to keep the doors open.

That means NEVER EVER having a 2 day 'weekend'. EVER.


Are we getting it yet? TIBA is not happening due to sick leave. TIBA is happening because that fool TFN sat there with a worried look on one of his two faces three years ago and nodded at everything we told him was wrong with the place staffing wise the CUT STAFF FURTHER.

How dare you blame the controllers. Pathetic.

ALM's for ATC
 

I have an idea Greg, how about getting your non-endorsed ALM's (around 100 or so) to get the "headset" out of mothballs and pony-up, you pay them around 173-185 000, get some more "bang for your bucks" (so to speak!!).

Every time I get homesick and think about coming back I read about this crap...'Hun would you mind if we just stayed here till retirement?'

You guys are in the midst of the industrial game now hold the line and F*%$ what Joe Public or the commercial press thinks (don't sweat the analogous '89 Pliot's strike cause Civil Air just isn't that reckless).

History Lesson
When I finished college and started work on a Bass Strait oil rig in 1989 I was making nearly $20K a year more than my father as a Arrivals (Area) controller after he worked every O/T he could get (I was working 4 weeks on 4 weeks off plus 4 weeks annual leave).

I posted this elsewhere but think it is pertinent

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.

Max1: Nice work. Sums it up nicely.

Cheers,

NFR.

PS. Makes no difference to me now - I couldn't be released for a job I won so I released myself.....28 days to go!

One Bass controller won a Melbourne TCU job but now that another Bass controller has resigned he can't be released to Melbourne TCU even though they are about 5 staff short. Go figure! :ugh:

There's no point applying for an internal transfer because there's never any realistic chance to be released.

Looks like external applications are the only way to move out of where you are.....hmmm now there's an idea.

BTW the exodus has begun, the Irish won't be short staffed for much longer. :ok:

How many are due to leave by the end of the year, I know of around 7-10 who will be gone by the end of this year. But of course we will still be only 18 short. :yuk:

ASA Solves Staff Shortage
Ah! that explains why my friend down in Melbourne tells me that the simulator next door is empty most of the time. 10 work stations gathering dust.

watch the 730 report either tuesday or wednesday this week. rumour has it, camera crew was in the new $6.5mil tower sim (that doesn't work yet and has no trainees) being shown how committed AsA was to training, they asked to see it in action with some trainees..... ummmm, we don't have any tower trainees......

ASA management
 

Have had a few rants today, won't waste any time here.

TFN for the sake of ASA, go away please.

You do not deserve to be our CEO, you are a disgrace.

Why on earth are you still here, surely you can't do anymore damage. Well actually maybe you still can , I guess you could really stuff up the EBA just to try and make a name for yourself.

You must have a massive ego as you obviously are not concerned with how you might be remembered by those whom you have effected whilst charged with the governance of the organisation. What was previously a great organisation.

I'll finish by stating that whilst Bernie was the boss he was sure to do the rounds, shook his hand plenty of times, when you took over all you could do was send out a DVD hoping the masses would throng to your show, never saw it, have'nt seen your nasty head in all the years you have been our alleged saviour, if you turned up I could promise I would not give you the time of day.

I do not support you or your direction of my organisataion, the organisation that through my training I have dedicated a large part of my life, you will come and go and not give a rats arse for the place or the people.

DO US ALL A FAVOUR A NICK OFF A HOLE!

BgTFN
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Stimulation Anyone?
 

Does anyone in the TC know what plans may be afoot regarding the utilisation of the new sim and the timescales of any App and Twr courses that may be planned? Also, noticed that ASA were advertising for TC staff a while back. Any new faces in the TC? If anyone would care to PM me Id be interested in knowing a little more about the current modus operandi of the place.
Thanks
DogGone:ok:

TWR sim
 

BDog,

My understanding is that no resources are available to write the sim exercises so don't hold your breath. I'm told it looks good!

BgTFN

Also heard that TFN and entourage were in ML at the College being filmed by 7.30 report.They showed off the flash new tower sim and were asked by the crew if they could film it in action. 'Aaaahhh... we don't actually have any trainees'.
TFN trots out the number 972 controllers. I'm stuffed if I can find the missing 220 though. Not on any daysheets I've seen.
Supposed to be on air last night, but didn't . Tonight maybe?

from www.civilair.asn.au

Press Release
Can't retain, can't recruit ... and now can't train

Today's confirmation that Airservices Australia doesn't have enough instructors to train new air traffic controllers means airspace closures are set to continue - despite Airservices' promise that it would fix Australia's chronic shortage of air traffic controllers by September 1.

Today's Sydney Morning Herald reports that Airservices has recruits filling time on pilot simulators despite its promise the Senate Estimates Committee to train 80 to 100 recruits per year for the next five years.
Recruits are training themselves on simulators, without supervision from instructors, because of staff shortages at the Melbourne training academy.
Peter McGuane, executive secretary of Civil Air, says today's revelations are another major embarrassment for Australia's aviation safety provider which will struggle to train 60 new recruits a year.
"Thanks to Airservices cutbacks, poor planning, and a reorganisation that turned 100 air traffic controllers into managers, Australia is short by more than 100 air traffic controllers.
"An overseas recruiting effort attracted only 25 of the target of 40-80 overseas air traffic controllers.
"Meanwhile Australian air traffic controllers are heading overseas for the better wages and conditions offered in the global marketplace or reaching retirement age.

"The result of this has been increasing sectors of unsupervised air space, where pilots have to monitor each others' position.
"Airservices CEO Greg Russell has promised that by September 1 Airservices would have adequate trained staff and there would be no more air space closures.
"Air traffic controllers are doing their best - rostered to work around the clock, covering reasonable overtime for roster shortfalls or ill colleagues - but the system is near collapse and that's the employer's responsibility.
"The shortage of air traffic controllers flows into a shortage of instructors at the training academy, and the training for each new recruit takes up to two years.
Airservices claims a national shortage of only 17 air traffic controllers. Their union, Civil Air, believes the real figure is more than 100.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Peter McGuane, Executive Secretary 0412 538 336
Andrew Taylor 0411 156 797



very interested to see how TFN fixes the staffing problem by end end of august - in 5 days time.

Look likes someones chooks are coming home to roost.
I appreciate that Civilair wrote the above, but it looks like the general media are finally realising that TFN has been 'BS'ing them.
"Hell hath no fury like a media duped"

Once again, fairly interesting stuff. But does anyone have to take responsibility for this state of affairs? You guys can't (allegedly) service the airspace. Your CEO (allegedly) promised a solution. Is this going to happen?

Plans
 

Plans, plans everywhere, yet not a drop to drink.................

It's wonderful that developing plans is an effective mitigator to actually doing anything. I wonder what would happen if the workers adopted the lead shown by "management", and began separating by plan? Or planning when they will attend work, rather than attending....this sounds like fun!!

The new Airservices business motto: If you can't do something- plan it!
it makes the media happy

Just Because....
 

Wow,

Maybe the media has finally cracked on to realising that just because its in a glossy brochure does not mean its really happening....

What could be next....OHHHHH a realisation that AsA's reals core business is not brochure publishing!!!

PS Can somebody tell the board??

and this was in the courier mail today as well:

Air force in bid to stop staff exodus

Cameron Stewart | August 26, 2008
THE air force does not have enough air traffic controllers to monitor all its planes and has pleaded with staff not to quit for better-paid civilian jobs.
RAAF chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin has written to his 237 air traffic controllers urging that they not feel "pressured hastily" into resigning, promising them more money and "aggressive" action to improve their conditions.
The move is aimed at stemming a recent spate of resignations among RAAF controllers, many of whom have joined the civil air traffic control manager Airservices Australia, which is also desperately short of qualified controllers.
An Airservices spokesman said it had offered jobs to 14 RAAF controllers so far this year and the air force admitted it was now suffering an 8.1per cent shortfall of military controllers.
As a result, the RAAF conceded that it could no longer adequately monitor all of its military flights around defence airfields.
"Individual air traffic control officer shortages at some Australian Defence Force bases at times have resulted in restrictions to air traffic services to military aircraft," a defence spokesman said.
Defence has its own network of air traffic controllers which - apart from several exceptions - is separate to the civil network of controllers.
Defence controllers are distributed across 11 ADF bases including at Townsville, Amberley, Williamtown, Darwin, Nowra and Tindal.
But concerns about the growing shortage of RAAF controllers prompted Air Marshal Binskin to write an impassioned plea to them this month to remain with the military.
"Do not allow yourself to be pressured hastily into taking positions outside of air force that are likely to be available for many years to come," he wrote in a letter dated August 7 and obtained by The Australian.
"I recognise the competitive external environment and have directed the investigation of targeted remuneration options in the short term."
Air Marshal Binskin said he had ordered "aggressive" action, including contracting specialist industrial advisers to look at improvements in conditions.
"While I acknowledge that some of you may choose to leave the air force to pursue other opportunities, I urge you to look closely at the value package which air force provides before electing to do so," Air Marshal Binskin writes.
"I also urge you to look closely at the culture, environment and current working practices that are evident in outside employment and analyse closely the opportunities available in defence by comparison."
His comments are a thinly veiled swipe at Airservices, which has been involved in a public dispute with its 800 civilian controllers, who have accused the agency of failing to properly manage staffing levels.
Defence says it currently has 212 RAAF and 25 defence department air traffic controllers, an 8.1per cent shortfall on its target workforce of 223 RAAF and 35 defence controllers.
A defence spokesman declined to say how much extra money would be offered to military controllers to help attract and retain them.
At present, newly qualified RAAF controllers receive a salary and allowance of almost $60,000, compared with about $72,000 for a similarly qualified civilian controller.
A national shortage of air traffic controllers has left large slabs of the skies unmonitored for hours at a time this year.




so now it'll be even harder for AsA to poach from the military - lucky we are "only 17 short" hey?

Interesting snippet from the rumour section of crikey.com.au today:

Magnificent, the truth is finally out
 

About time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But alas a little late, I hear the German and Irish interviewers have been very busy on their current headhunting mission.

The federal minister better had get his act together for I can feel an exedus coming on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:E

F**k off TFN

BgTFN

As long as they keep bringing in "astute business people" to run the show ... expect more of the same.

a little history that may be pertinent to our staffing problem(s) at the academy

from the budget estimates senate hearing in MAY 2006 (p.103 onwards), available at:
http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/...ked/4719-8.PDF

(the emphasis is my own, but otherwise a straight cut & paste)

There is no training plan.

It has been asked repeatedly for the training plan to be published, so those involved at the centres can assess their requirements.

The ALMs ( front line managers) have not been told when the trainees will be arriving and are not rostering for it. No Level 3 manager ( the ones who are supposed to be given the big picture from upper management) has yet published their training plan even though they were supposed to be disseminated by the end of June.

Here we are nearly nine months into a 24 month ramp up of training and no-one knows what is going on.

The latest course is twiddling its thumbs in the ' Learning Academy' awaiting instructors.

This stuff-up will take years to fix. Unfortunately everytime the Association points out a looming problem to ASA bureaucrats they stick their fingers in their ears and cry "Industrial issues". The bureaucrats refuse to listen to their Level 3s and ALMs and controllers. I have also heard that TFN now doesn't want to listen to the GM ATC. He has hung his hat on his 'chosen ones' and will continue down this path regardless.

Did someone say "Iceberg"?

MAX1 don't panic!
 

The National will save us!



iceberg on the port side!



NAB, ATS training specialists, go you good thing! WHOAooooooooooooo.

Ahh whats a DME, I'll get back to you after I ask someone who knows what a DME is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its time to get serious again, this could be lives we're talking about!:sad:

A little birdie told me of a briefing from an ATS trainer to the exNAB management at the Academy.
"These are your requirements under the CARs"
" Oh yes, but we won't have to worry about those pesky things"
" If you don't comply with the requirements of CAR's you will face criminal charges and go to gaol"
"WHAT, do you mean these are legal requirements??????"

They have no idea.

AA

AsA management have been absolutely delighted to wear the big boot in many past wage negotiations. The same worn out excuses that never fail to send a chill down young ATC spines: "Our clients can't afford it." "We can't afford it." "If we can't make a profit, we can't stay in business." What happens now that the boot finds itself on another foot?

If I were Albanese, I'd be taking a broom to the AsA board as well. The board members are not without blame in this fiasco.

Lowdown, I think the board are entirely responsible. What are they there for if not to ultimately oversee everything A$A does?

Aanyone go t acopy of the email about reduced staffing/services at Bankstown?

I'd be careful with that.
I have sighted an email that I would love to share publicly on the thread I started about AsA's push for obligatory overtime, but have been advised that posting it there might betray commercial confidences.:mad:

Unfortunately.

UATC, this email was sent to Bankstown operators. As a pilot who flies there, I was just wondering if anyone has a copy. Heard about it, but haven't seen it. It's a public email.

direct.no.speed, the email I'm talking about is not directly related to air safety as such, but was from a manager-type complaining about overtime.

and back on topic,

3 days left for TFN to fix the staffing problem. - maybe he's going to work all weekend?

perhaps it will all be explained at the next "accelerated negotiations" meeting tomorrow.:hmm:

actually, no. (not that I'm surprised)
the good ship SS AsA just declared ramming speed for the iceberg.

They are still pushing for
1. obligatory overtime ('because I'm an employee, in thier opinion, I HAVE to do overtime)
2. "simplified" redeployment/redundancy procedures..... hmmmm.
3. keeping greviances in-house, and much harder to reach an external independant authority
4. consultation - AsA will tell us about things, listen to our viewpoint, but still make decisions that are "best for the business" - whether we agree or not
5. flexibility - allow individual variation to things such as: hours of work; starting times, shift lengths & breaks; penalty rates; redeployment/redundancy;
6. discipline


I can't wait to see what TFN and board do tomorrow (Sunday) to fix the staffing problem by 1st of September. :rolleyes:

History repeating
 

Found this: Note the date. And as yet we are still not actually withdrawing our agreement to work overtime. As yet.



23rd August 2005, 22:06 #1 (permalink)
Nomorecrap


Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In Limbo
Posts: 45 ATC Staff Shortage set to bite

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little birdy tells me that ATC staff are going to stop working on their days off from next week.

Some impact expected at the major cities.

Apparently constant overtime is all that has been keeping the airspace open for quite some time.

Funny - I thought I read about Airservices getting an International Award for being the best ANSP.

Maybe they meant the best for their profits!