Controllers Sacrifice Opportunities - Again

Today Civil Air on behalf of Australia's Air Traffic Controllers ruled out industrial action prior to Christmas.

Despite the numerous certified shafting meetings delivering nothing but predicted frustrations, the controllers have chosen to do the right thing by the Australian public, again.

Controllers currently have the right to initiate a bargaining period and take legal industrial action within that bargaining period; but are doing the right thing again, despite remaining on the boards and consoles at work without a valid contract.

In 2001 controllers chose to delay industrial action due to the effects of September 11 on the industry and economy, and then subsequently delayed action again during the Ansett crisis which saw the destruction of that company.

This position was taken to assist the public and minimise the impacts that national ATC industrial action was likely to have.  The result of not taking action was an 18 month pay freeze and a conclusion which delivered a less than CPI rise.

In 2005 the controllers obtained a less than satisfactory outcome, as many unions did, to avoid the Howard workchoices reforms that would removed many options and power relating to industrial action and the ability to negotiate on an equal footing.

In 2008 there have been 15 formal negotiating meetings and from all reports we are no closer to an agreement than the first meeting.  Despite numerous attempts to get 'financials' so that modelling could occur, the net result has been:

Trust us, it costs an "Arm and a Leg".

We hate to say it, but as predicted by the shafters, all the fluffy promises have delivered less than a CPI offer again, and to get that the employer wants to take conditions of employment easily argued to be more than the value of increase on offer, generous, NOT!

Secret Squirrel

It appears that there is a round table discussion to occur before the minister tomorrow.

Sources close to "the shafters" confirm that the rumours published on 'crikey' indeed do have legs; perhaps that's what we meant about 'black shirts' on Wednesday in our last post.

We have checked with parties from both sides of the 'summoning' before Big Tony; sources from both sides confirm that there is a meeting.  

As for the agenda, well it's not exactly about crushing the union as suggested in the rumour.  But it is about the CA and whether a way forward can be achieved.  Of course there may be more in the rumour than is being publicly stated by both parties (well at least by our contacts).

We understand that the great TFN will be on duty before the minister along with some VPs and the Exec Sec.

We hope that discussions are real and fruitful; but you won't mind if we don't hold our breath will you?

Ya can't make this shit up

In recent days with much "fan fare" we have seen the employer Airshambles Australia 'launch' a new community service (why?)

WebTrak

Note: Due to the large amount of interest in the Airservices Australia WebTrak service, you may expereince difficulties in accessing this service. If you experience problems, please try again at a later time.

WebTrak is an innovative system providing the community with information on where and how high aircraft fly, as well as noise levels of these operations.

It allows members of the public access to detailed information on aircraft operations around major airports.

WebTrak is part of the largest integrated Noise and Flight Path Monitoring System in the world.

How does it work? 

WebTrak uses information from air traffic control secondary surveillance radars to monitor aircraft:

• within 55 km of the airport
• up to a height of 3000m above ground level

Aircraft noise data is downloaded daily from noise monitors strategically located about the communities close to the airport.

The information is then displayed on a detailed map (road or aerial) which enables the user to zoom down to their street level.

In Current Flights mode you can view current operations (delayed by 40 minutes for aviation security reasons) around the airport.

In Replay Mode you can access flight information and noise data for the previous two weeks.

Contact details

To provide comments, lodge a noise complaint or request additional information please use the contacts below:

Online form 
Phone: 1800 802 584 
Email: community.relations@airservicesaustralia.com

Liability and Copyright
We have made every reasonable effort to ensure the information presented is accurate. However, the data within WebTrak may still contain inaccuracies in some cases. It should not be relied upon when making personal, legal or financial decisions.

Noise data may not be available due to problems with the telecommunications network or maintenance works on the monitor. In such cases, try again in 24 hours time or contact the Noise Enquiry Unit.

In extreme cases some track deviations can occur at low altitudes due to radar reflections, which gives the impression of an aircraft deviating off the runway.

WebTrak is provided for personal and non-commercial use.  Users may not modify, copy, distribute or reproduce in any form the data obtained from WebTrak.  All maps used by WebTrak are copyright.

This service cost around $20M to install, god knows what the ongoing wages and maintenance costs will be, (read not cheap folks).  Another over promise and under delivery, right there for the public to read before they even get to look at the product.  Is this supposed to reduce or increase complaints about noise? 

So what does Joe Public get for their $20M investment, sweet FA we'd say.

When you agree to terms and conditions, follow the link above, you get to see (sic) arrivals and departures within 30NM of an aerodrome as long as they are under 3000 meters above the ground. we figure it's filtered out above 10,000 feet for those reading with an aviation background.

Does it pick up all movements, well apparently not, we have observed this in action for a while now, the peak periods have only one or two departures every 10 minutes.  The "picture" is 20 mins delayed. The interaction with the details promised like callsigns and aircraft types works pathetically (or not at all).

This is your tax dollars at work.  The $$$ otherwise returned to staff in terms of higher wages or to the government in terms of more profit dividends are wasted by an administration eager to have another machine that goes 'ping'.  All this approved spending in the same period as saying that any proposed cost for improving conditions of employment are at an 'arm and a leg' cost basis.

We here at "the shafters" have a very interesting rumour about the week ahead, particularly Wednesday (we hope you wear your Black Shirts); let's hope something positive comes out of it, unfortunately we suspect that by the end of the week, we'll be writing again to confirm that 'we told you so' again.

Long time no see?

You may have noticed that we've been quiet for a while; we were requested by a member of the CANG (via email) to "lay off" and not to interfere with the proceedings; or not to provide fodder/evidence for the AIRC; we have primarily stuck to that request, but cannot remain silent.

Yesterday marked the final negotiating meeting for the "2008 Certified Shafting" in 2008. We presume this makes it a "2009 Certified Shafting" process after all.

As predicted by us back in April, nothing above CPI has been conceded by our wonderful employer and to get that we need to surrender conditions of employment that the employer cannot be trusted to administer in a fair and reasonable manner.  

They have form, none of it good!

Airshambles has hitched their wagon to the latest 'sky is falling' crisis that has come along; this time the financial credit crunch and reduced airline growth (note not reductions just slowing growth) is to blame, last time it was the crushing impacts of fuel increases and reducing airline industry figures produced by IATA combined with the Howard workchoices implementation dates.; the time before that it was the collapse of Ansett and post Sept 11 aviation market reductions.

Can we as a collective catch a break?

Well since 2001 we have observed massive growth in movements of bigger and bigger aircraft, providing now huge revenues with ever decreasing wages. We have seen or 'customers' produce record after record profits all the while playing the 'sky is falling' card.

Airshambles Australia is offering you in "real terms" a reduction of between 8 and 17 %, depending on the value of the conditions of employment they want you to surrender, some say much more.  Airshambles claims that they have provided a fair and reasonable offer.

We have seen more and more ATCs depart for other paddocks or simply removing their shingle from the stoop and running away to another locations; we have seen more than ever the reliance on overtime, and the few of us that remain on the boards under more pressure than ever; particularly when 'required' to attend for additional duty, or at least made to feel that way.

The supply and demand argument is definitely in our favour; bugger the 'frame work arguments' because they principles contained within that document are being selectively chosen or selectively ignored.

We note that a deal is not likely now until well into the new year.

That the wagons are being circled on both sides and an industrial battle looks more likely than not.

That the promises by TFN for "a better way" have probably resulted in the most hostile negotiations in recent memory.  

We hate to say it, but WE TOLD YOU SO.