ATC vote to take Protected Industrial action against Airservices Australia.
 

Outcome is inevitable.

Always the same technique.

Offer nothing. Delay, delay, delay.

Then blame the few remaining workers on 'disruptions to the travelling public ', when that has been the $hitshow for the travelling public for the preceding years anyway.

Good luck to the dozen or so people who still actually "work" there

Same old story really. There’s been a steady deterioration of pay and conditions for years and years.

The changes since my old sector 3 days are astonishing. Less controllers working more traffic. Sectors combined when historically they weren’t. Complexity through the roof. Work life balance non existent. Rosters re-written to mean more days at work. I could go on.

Unfortunately it seems to be the norm throughout the industry as a whole.

This is the goal though. Most of the people running the industry have bought into the concept of ‘lean management’.
There is a tension between aviation safety and ‘lean management’ principles. A balance must be struck.
Most of the people running the industry look quizzically at you if you start having real conversations about risk and safety. They have probably done a few courses but because they don’t live it, and feel it when the margins are eroded, they rarely understand it.
The above quote about the Challenger explosion illustrates the clear difference between management trained employees, and operational employees when assessing risk. I’m not saying the divide is that great in Australian aviation, but in my experience there is definitely a divide that I have witnessed when discussing specific risks to flight safety. When your bum isn’t in the hot seat, and many other things are competing for your attention, it’s not likely you will reach a high level of understanding on the subject of risk, especially when the worst possible outcome for you is to have to do a 30 second hand-wringing ‘we’re deeply sorry’ interview on TV.
​​​​​​​Good luck to the hard working ATCO’s.

Hopefully this gets Airservices the scrutiny it so richly deserves. Hats off to the controllers for taking this stand- maximum respect.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/busines...3e1ae33f3beAir traffic controllers are set to vote on what would be their first industrial action in more than 20 years after 14 meetings with Airservices failed to address their concerns.

With aviation firefighters also preparing to strike in coming weeks, the air traffic controllers’ union Civil Air said it would apply to the Fair Work Commission after Easter for a protected action ballot order.

Among the concerns of air traffic controllers are ongoing shortages of staff and resources at a time when they are expected to be delivering new initiatives and projects, including a digital control tower at the new Western Sydney Airport.

Civil Air executive secretary Peter McGuane said they were also frustrated that although the government’s public service framework allowed for a 15.4 per cent superannuation contribution from employers, Airservices was refusing to pay more than 11 per cent.

“They’re saying ‘if you want these conditions you’re going to have to trade off something else to fund it’,” Mr McGuane said.

“We don’t accept that position, and that’s why it’s our intention to explore the processes before Fair Work.”

Airservices Australia recently sought to increase fees to airlines by 19 per cent in nominal terms following a 2 per cent reduction in 2019. The proposed hike was being examined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

In a note to members, Civil Air explained there had been 14 meetings with Airservices since November 2023 yet 20 of their 28 claims were still to be finalised.

“Most have nothing to do with remuneration but address ongoing work life balance and equity issues in the workplace,” the note said.

“It is clear that despite 14 meetings, Airservices is not interested in actually considering our claims as serious items proposed by our members, and still believe that they are ambit.”
https://content.api.news/v3/images/b...929d8ef3524b30 Air traffic controllers in the main control room at Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon MechielsenAn application for a protected industrial action ballot would be made with Fair Work after Easter, laying the groundwork for the first strikes by air traffic controllers since 2002.

Before that, air traffic controllers last took industrial action in 1977.

Mr McGuane said they were disappointed such a course of action was required but felt they had been left with no choice.

“Airservices was clearly warned on multiple occasions about the white-hot anger and despair that exists among employees due to the torrid workplace environment, and the appetite to pursue further action if claims were not met,” he said.

“They chose to ignore these warnings.”

An Airservices spokeswoman said enterprise agreement negotiations were continuing, and they would seek to finalise a new deal without interruption to the travelling public.

She said Airservices was offering a “a $75m pay rise” to the 900-plus air traffic controllers, comprising 11.2 per cent over three years in line with the Australian Public Service Commission’s recent pay decision.

“Civil Air is seeking a 20 per cent increase over three years,” the spokeswoman said.

Despite a recent Senate Estimates hearing being told the absence of just two air traffic controllers in Sydney was enough to cause widespread flight delays, Airservices insisted staff shortages were being addressed.

More Coverage

More than 70 new air traffic controllers are due to be operational this year, with plans to recruit another 80 every year moving forward.

Aviation firefighters are due to take industrial action from April 5, potentially disrupting school holiday operations at major airports.

They are also seeking a 20 per cent pay rise over three years, after rejecting Airservices’ offer of 11.2 per cent.

Originally published as Air traffic controllers threaten first strikes in more than 20 years over super, pay and staffing

For comparisons sake, controllers in NZ got 5.9% in 2022, 7.2% in 2023 and next week we get another 5.7%
20% is absolutely realistic just to keep up with the cost of living the last few years.

Good luck all, hoping for a positive outcome

The APSC has denied reasonable pay increases to other AU gov agencies as well. CSIRO for example are getting a paltry 11.2% over the next 3 years, this after having had 4 years of 0% during Tony Abbot's tenure as PM. This means CSIRO employees suffered an effective pay cut of 25% over the last decade.

Good luck to the AsA employees. Maybe they show more spine than the CSIRO quokkas.

It would be interesting if the line controllers interpretation of ‘reasonable overtime’ as stipulated in the now expired agreement resulted in a dramatic reduction in the amount of overtime worked.

Interpretations can work both ways. So can pressure.

CityRail in Sydney tried that on in 2004 and again a few years ago during EBA negotiations. They'd let driver numbers decline to the point the entire network was dependant on Driver's and Guards doing OT just to man a normal timetable, yet alone special event services. Come EBA time and CityRail trying to shaft their crew, they simply said "We've had enough OT for now, thanks" and the network ground to a halt.

There is no legal definition of "reasonable OT", and the courts have ruled your RDO's are your own, you cannot be forced to work an OT shift on an RDO. The ATCO's should simply spend their days off with their family and let us wear the delays. ASA will cave, and cave quickly!

It would only take a few east coast radar sectors and 2-3 TCU’s to decide they’d worked enough reasonable overtime for the house of cards to be exposed for what it is (if it’s not already).

There is no doubt than simply withdrawing from OT for a week would see the whole system grind to a halt.

But equally, the management types still there have shown little regards for the facts, and a reluctance to admit any fault in the current day to day results of their prior decisions.

The solution in their minds is to simply issue NOTAMS reclassifying the levels if service provided - i e. none.

I truly believe that will continue to be their strategy in the case of PIA, right up to the point

There is no doubt than simply withdrawing from OT for a week would see the whole system grind to a halt.

But equally, the management types still there have shown little regards for the facts, and a reluctance to admit any fault in the current day to day results of their prior decisions.

The solution in their minds is to simply issue NOTAMS reclassifying the levels if service provided - i e. none.

I truly believe that will continue to be their strategy in the case of PIA, right up to the point where there is a ministerial intervention to 'fix this'. How much faith do you have in when and if the current minister does that?

EG. For comparison. I can fly an a320. My new employer uses B738M. No need for any ground school or conversion as we will train you on the job. Sounds safe as.... maybe the 80 ATC promised is not quite as it seems and corners are being cut. Pretty sure CASA are all over this.

The CASA bit. That was sarcasm right?

You’ve hit the nail on the head. It sounds exactly like what you’d expect from the aviation industry in this country.

Of those ‘80 ATC promised’ let’s be realistic. 40 will make it to operational training. Maybe 30 will endorse. Half of those will be on the radar sectors / towers that are so desperate for staff. That 15 will not even cover retirements / resignations/natural attrition. The cycle of staffing issues will continue indefinitely.

Or…Airservices could start paying industry standard pay and 2024 conditions and attract the right people…I’ll see myself out.

Actually DROPS the thread title isn't correct. Perhaps ATC to vote to take Protected Industrial action against Airservices Australia.

The process is:
I do agree that the outcome is inevitable.
But the AsA CEO said at the Senate Estimates ($hit $how) that TIBA is an extra layer of safety.

“We add an additional protocol, which is the traffic information broadcast by
aircraft. That means that the aircraft need to broadcast their position, no different to when they are flying into
class G or some regional ports. It means there is an extra layer of safety because instead of the air traffic
controller, the person, being the only person who knows what's going on, it's making sure that everyone”

How on earth does anyone who makes a statement like that get to be a CEO of anything let alone something as important as a ASA.

As a country we are rapidly retreating into the very depths of the third world.

Reads like a poor April fools joke don’t it

The ASA CEO, also believes in the Easter Bunny!

Last big ATC strike, I believe was in 1977.

ARFF take Protected Industrial Action against Airservices...
 

PIA has commenced

Was not that a strike by a mob called the PREI (technicians) rather than ATCOs?

Best of Luck Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is about time you were properly recognised and remunerated.

MCD

Think u may be right. I think last serious ATC industrial action was early 1989 just before the pilots' strike.

From Civil Air site:
Note: Principal catalyst for action is lack of staffing requiring excessive use of overtime.

In 1989 a restriction was placed on the number of consecutive shifts that ATCs could work (10 shifts), prior to that there was no maximum. This was inserted into the Enterprise Agreement, Airservices has been trying to get rid of this 10 shift limitation ever since.

950 odd controllers, plenty to go round supposedly, shouldn't be too much of an issue getting an overtime ban approved as part of PIA then?

So....they'll refuse to put out the fires that aren't there?

I hope the ARFF get the substantial raise that they deserve and which is well overdue.

Maximum 7 hr per fornight! 😆😆😆

So factor in that people are currently doing up to 30h OT per fornight - and there are STILL airspace closures almost every day, what do you think the effect of an OT withdrawal under PIA might be?

TIBA and now this, can’t be doing good for the ICAO rating…

Not sure why but mods have merged the ARFF and ATC thread into one which is weird and now confusing. I don't understand why this was done.

Nor I.
It would be like merging two threads where one is talking about the QF Engineers industrial situation and the other is talking about QF pilots and their industrial situation.

Moderator.
Please reconstitute the original separate threads

Received this on 3rd April......

Hello 10JQKA

Your thread "ARFF vote to take Protected Industrial Action against Airservices..." has been merged into to ATC vote to take Protected Industrial action against Airservices Australia. by our moderator team. We encourage you to continue your discussion in this new location.

Thank you!

It would be so easy for AsA to avoid all of this.

Acknowledge the work their staff has done by simply paying them what they’re worth (industry standard, not unreasonable) without asking them to sacrifice conditions in return.

Dealing with the continual and increasing short staffing, the increasingly complex workload, the worse and worse rosters etc is all the more manageable when you’re being compensated appropriately.

In the meantime how many more have got their applications in for UAE / Oman / Germany etc?

There was an ATC strike on when I was doing field training after graduating from the college in early 1979.

I wandered around the then "AMEN" looking at and in aircraft .....

It jas gotten so bad people are actually going back to HKG.

What happened?
Did treating highly skilled people like **** and paying them peanuts not work out?!
We’re closing airspace and towers because they can’t find staff now.
Travelling public might be interested in the lack of safety at most regional airports now, and don’t mention the near miss I had at Sydney airport last year. We made the newspaper on that one (staff shortages and low time departure controller).
How about some managers realise they actually need to pay people a liveable wage or they’ll go elsewhere.
Same situation as Australian airlines. It’s not this hard.
PAY people for their expertise and experience.

We paid the Airservices CEO over $1M a year.

It must also not be a liveable wage based on performance.delivered?

Perhaps he will also go elsewhere?

​​​​​​

Perversely no one will listen until there is an actual accident. Near misses are seen viewed by our regulator as a successfully managed event with a safe outcome.