OK if you want to call "a minimum service" handling only traffic in emergency if there is a strike. We can play on the words.Phoenixx wrote: ↑17 May 2019, 10:47I'm not here to discuss this time or to defend yesterday, just counter wrong information.mvg wrote: ↑17 May 2019, 10:18 @Phoenixx
I don’t agree with your view of the minimum service at all. There is no minimum service in Belgium. Listening to emergency frequencies and provide help to aircrafts in emergencies is not a minimum service. It is a legal obligation and the least you can do as professionals. One Atco (usually the supervisor) stays in the ops room but ALL the others are leaving when there is a strike. Is this a minimum service? No. It’s just common sense.
A minimum service like in France is better than nothing and enables at least airlines to fly on a reduced schedule and with delays. This is way better than a total closure.
And above all it is announced well in advance! Companies can take measures and organize themselves (advise and rebook passengers). Here the airspace was closed without notice: this is unacceptable! Strike without notice is in your rights and it should be removed from the long lists of rights that you have (and misuse) as state emloyees..
And the reasons of the closure are just ridiculous: for an information meeting that was finally cancelled! What image are you guys giving of your job?
About what the CEO is doing, as mentioned before, he isn’t doing great for sure. But he also knows what you are doing, how little you work on position, how early you are going home, how little the traffic figures are. So he doesn’t feel scared to use it against you.
Still waiting by the way to get answers about how many people are planned at ACC per shift and we then can see how ma u hours they work per day. Or is it a secret?
It IS a minimum service by definition, and hate to break it to you but it's never just a supervisor.
I agreed it would be better for airlines and passengers to have a more extensive minimum service, I said it wouldn't solve anything.
There is a big difference. It would be better for continuity if we worked 30 days per month, that would not solve anything either.
And for your information, this was not a 'wild strike', the strike announcement has been there for months and is still valid.
While it was unexpected and unfortunate, the notice was there and the CEO knew very well this would happen.
They have been fishing for a strike for months, and they managed to push everyone over the line yesterday.
Once again, not here to defend, explain or argue about this.
Odd you mention low traffic figures, CEO keeps patting himself on the back for being among the best in Europe, so one of you is wrong.
I didnt give you the numbers because your assumptions regarding our work are wrong, so the only possible outcome is a wrong calculation, but sure: ACC has a Target staffing of 7 per early and 6 per late shift, staggered.
Yesterday was not a wild strike because there was a "stakingsaanzegging/préavis de grève" for months? So that means that all airlines should have known about it and be ready for the strike? Which airline seriously cares about a small group of controllers that have requests that they don't even know what they mean? Do you think that (for example) an American airline or Chinese airline is taking into account the very important belgian "stakingsaanzegging/préavis de grève" when they make their daily planning? Come on controllers! You are not the centre of the world! Just a little part of the chain which unfortunately is not replacable.
When there is a strike in France, it is planned in advance, airlines take measures, reduce their number of flights and anticipate so that not too many people come to the airport. Here passengers were at the airport, waiting, angry at the counters. Would controllers now dare to face hostesses that were at the Brussels Airlines counter yesterday facing angry and agressive passengers (not all of them of course)? Would they dare to stand in front of them and explain their working conditions and why they are striking, sitting comfortably in their restroom while those employees are facing a queue of hundreds of people impatient and angry at them? In which world do controllers live?
I appreciate your time spent here and also that you don't want to defend yesterday's actions. We have notice that your explanations were often very precise and "to the point". But please tell your colleagues (they probably heard it already), those who lead this movement, that they are a disgrace to your profession. And a shame for our country.
About my "assumptions" about your work, they are not assumptions but situations observed several times recently accross all units/services of your company (all of them without exceptions, being the five towers, Canac, technical services, MET offices, briefing office, training centre, administrative building or the 5 star kitchen of your restaurant in Steenokkerzeel). Probably you haven't even seen all of them yourself
The figures I mentioned are the traffic figures: they are low compared to other airports or units in Europe. The CEO speaks about safety figures and they are low as well, meaning there have been little incidents over the last two years, which is good but also normal when you don't have too much traffic.
About the figures for ACC: target of 7 Atcos per side (west or east):
- 7 Atcos for 7 hours to cover (a morning being from 07.00 till 14.00 then afternoons are coming)
- IF two sectors are open (for west it is the BIG maximum), that's 4 controllers into position at a time (2 per sector) -> 7 hours x 4 positions = 28 hours to cover -> 4 hours of work per Atco.
- if they collapse on one sector for 2 hours during the shift, the number of hours to cover falls down to 24 -> 3,5 hours per Atco per shift
- if they collapse on one sector for 4 hours during the shift, the number of hours to cover is 20 -> less than 3 hours per shift per Atco
Of course, if the target of 7 Atcos isn't met, they have to work a bit more OR collapse positions more...
Questions:
1) is that calculation wrong?
2) where else in Europe do Atcos work less than that?
Again Phoenixx, no personal blame. The leaders (those with extreme thoughts) read us but don't take time to defend themselves because they are undefendable. Thank you for your time.