Industrial action 11, 12, 13th June
 

Latest position:

Most DSNA (French service provider) unions are calling for strike action this week in protest against SES II+ and RP2 cost reductions.

We are currently in the worst case scenario where :

- the 12 June "European action day" against SESII + will be accompanied by general strike in DSNA, with no possibility to negotiate.

- In addition, the main ATCO union is calling on 3 days of strike 11-12-13, requiring from the government and DGAC/DSNA to take into account some salary increases for the next years as from now in anticipation of future RP2 regulation, and other unspecified demands. The negotiations to avoid the 3 days of strike have failed so far. DSNA are doing their best to keep negotiations open but the outlook is pessimistic as regards a short term issue before the 11th.

If as is likely, the 3 days strikes is confirmed, the "legal service minimum" will be guaranteed. The "minimum" is about 50% eu-route and airport capacity which is extremely disrupting for the network and air transport.

The enforcement of the minimum service entails :

- legally constraining some ATCOs (around 30-40% of the shifts) and ATSEP supervisors not to go on strike

- asking airlines to reduce their flight programmes to the main French airports by 50%

- regulating en-route capacity under a service minimum scenario in liaison with NM

- adapting as far as possible the tactical sector configuration taking into account the actual staffing available

- negotiating with military authorities a reduction of their training activity

- rerouting traffic to avoid French airspace

- regular monitoring of the situation by DSNA with NM, and with Airlines representatives in France (including representation of international airlines trought the "BAR") and airports by regular confcalls (minimum 3 per day) + specific blog information

- other measures as needed and as feasible.


It is still hoped that a solution may be found to avoid the 3 days strike, but so far DSNA have launched their communication process and airlines have currently started to plan their flight programme reduction.

French controllers on strike..... what a surprise!

They do it so often, it means nothing.

In the mean time the surrounding units (including us at MUAC) work our asses off trying to pick up the pieces.

If the legal service minimum is being maintained and staff are not there and out on strike then is French ATC overmanned ?

The French administration can force a certain number of staff to come to work. This is the minimum service, "legal" because by law the staff have to come to work.

Good show of solidarity from our chum at Maastricht there...nul points

They looking after their own interests.....................just like the strikers.

Do not throw stones before thinking a bit.
I come from a time where salaries and working conditions were extrelemy poor and it is the French strikes of the 70s and 80s that raise the salaries to their current levels, as well as education ( engineer level) and recognition.

In those days solidarity among controllers was the norm , because most of us could not strike, but got some of the benefits the guys that did strike manage to get in the end a bit later...always have.

Today's kids starting in the profession think the salaries and working conditions they enjoy is a fact of life, it was not , people fought hard to get them there.

RRR =
 

Remember Ronald Reagan.

tofeez : sure, I also remember Frank Lorenzo and Eastern airlines.
Nice era...

ATCW, finally reaching THE moment for EUATCOsCOLLECTIVE ?.. ;)

St Ex : I wish we were there, but Nationalism and demagogy both still very present in 2013 unfortunately.
The Germans recently lost their 2 Ayatollahs, so a compromise is now possible, but will Germany agree to less commercialization , more EU control , and France finally agree to leave the public service ? I am not talking about the ANSPs ( I think the new DFS and DSNA are not that far apart ) I am talking about the individual controllers ..
Divided we will fall...

What's the French ATC'ers salarys like these days?

Still in ATCW !!!... Et tu as raison !!!... Nothing to add... Keep'n watching !!!... ;)

French ATC salaries is a recurrent topic.
I'm always told that they are paid as top executive for a part time job. I don't know if it's true or not.

Is the Euro-zone in financial trouble?

Shouldn't they be working their way out of that trouble?

Does industrial action make any sense in those circumstances?

Or is it just that the French feel that they can make use of the 'bottle-neck' that their airspace creates to disrupt the more business-minded northern peoples like the Germans, Scandinavians, Dutch and Brits who want to use the money that they have earned to holiday on the Iberian Peninsular?

With such follies (such as this 'public sector' industrial action and the desires mentioned below for 'more EU control') from within the Euro-zone, is it a surprise that the likes of UKIP are doing so well in Britain?

Just get on and work!

I don't believe that salary is the real issue. The strike against SES II is mainly against change that is essential if European ATM is to function as an efficient whole. Some years ago the Eurocontrol PRC (Performance Review Commission) did some benchmarking studies on a continental scale between European ATM as a whole and US ATM. These studies were repeated also at ACC level between comparable ACCs. In both cases they showed that the US was twice as efficient as Europe. Not because the US was super efficient (there were many improvements that could be made in the US) but because they did it on a large scale, in the same way across the whole continent, and thus achieved the commensurate economies of scale.

The SES II legislation is an attempt to achieve long overdue changes in Europe. But they are resisted by many governments and particularly by the French unions.

@ gapster.

My point still still stands though.... French ATC strike so often that everyone simply shrugs their shoulders and carries on. There's no one to blame for that other than French ATC.

Is this strike still on? It's disappeared out of the UK papers.

Maybe French are so often on strike to fight against the Brits technocrats trying to lower the workers conditions to such a level they earn more and more money.
Don't be fools and wake up chaps.
Your working conditions are getting sooo bad in England it is such a pity.
Don't play the game of your leaders using the British spirit and Nationalism as the key to keep you in the jail of ideology.
Ultra liberalism is worst than communism and it's hard for me to say that.
They fight for there rights right? If your name is not in the who's who then don't blame little fellows.:rolleyes:

+1
Fully agreed!!