MEDIA RELEASE RE ATC TOMMOROW

[Freedom7]

[QUOTE] MEDIA RELEASE: March 20 2002. .Air traffic controllers stoppage to go ahead. .Air traffic controllers in Brisbane and Sydney will stop work tomorrow after talks yesterday and today failed to result in an. .agreement with their employer Air Services Australia.. .“We sincerely regret that the public has again been drawn into this dispute but we hope they understand the importance. .of the situation and support our dedication to the critical issue of air safety,” said Ted Lang, president of the air traffic. .controllers’ union, the Civil Air Operations Officers Association.. .“We cannot accept any erosion of our working conditions, the failure of the employer in their present proposals to address. .critical issues of stress and fatigue, and current plans to downgrade the professional structure available to new air traffic. .controllers.. .“Air Services Australia is obsessed with the bottom line, with getting an even better financial result in a business which. .has repeatedly returned profits through increased productivity and brought decreases in navigation charges to airlines.”. .The air traffic controllers’ current agreement nominally expired in June 2001. Negotiations on a new agreement began in. .January 2001, but Mr Lang says fresh talks over the past two days have been disappointing.. .“It’s as though the employer wants to frustrate us and would prefer that we take industrial action,” Mr Lang said.. .While there has been progress on a number of issues, presently unresolved issues include. .§ a failure to address long term issues of fatigue and stress. .§ attempts to erode working conditions. .§ a threatened cutback in the professional structure available to new air traffic controllers. .“The interests of air traffic controllers are the same as those of the travelling public – safe skies for Australian travellers,”. .says Civil Air president Ted Lang.. .“The public do not want tired, stressed or inexperienced air traffic controllers.. .“This is not a job where you can have a “bad day”, or wake up after your second cup of coffee.. .“The recent bailout by the UK government of privatised air traffic control services in the UK shows that any trend toward. .corporatisation in Australia is also set to fail.. .“Air safety is too important to driven by economics alone.”. .Mr Lang says tomorrow’s five-hour stoppage has been timed to cause minimal disruption to passengers.. .“We deplore the decision by management to fly planes last week during the Melbourne stoppage – and the two reported. .near-misses when Air Services Australia tried to maintain services without air traffic controllers.. .“We hope this effort won’t be repeated tomorrow in Brisbane and Sydney.. .“We urge Air Services Australia to accept Civil Air’s offer to assist with the contingency plan to provide for any emergency. .flights necessary during the stoppage rather than trying to go it alone as they did in Melbourne.”. .STOPWORK DETAILS. .§ Air traffic controllers will stop 10 am-3pm (local time) in Brisbane and Coolangatta, and 11 am-4pm (local. .time) Sydney.. .§ The meetings are from 11.30 am-1.30 pm (local) Brisbane and 12 noon-2 pm (local) in Sydney. The. .meetings are closed to media and other non-members.. .§ A news conference will be held shortly after the meeting at each location.. .Brisbane: Murrayfield Room, Ballymore Oval. .Sydney: Stamford Hotel, Kingsford-Smith Airport. .§ Available for comment are:. .Ted Lang, President, Civil Air Operations Officers Association. .Peter McGuane, Executive Secretary, Civil Air Operations Officers Association. .Media inquiries. .Hamish McLean 0409 840 823 re Brisbane meeting. .Andrew Taylor 0411 156 797 re Sydney meeting. .. .-----------------------------. ....contact departures, ou roo.. . . . <small>[ 20 March 2002, 09:27: Message edited by: Freedom7 ]</small>