A Long, Hot Summer

I know what you’re thinking. Summer is over. We’re headed into Fall. True. But if you turn your world upside down, Fall becomes Spring and you’re starting your Summer. Well, you would be. Unless you worked for Airservices Australia.

Airservices, staff on collision course

”BELEAGUERED air navigation provider Airservices Australia is back on a collision course with staff after cancelling the leave of 30 air traffic controllers for three months following flight delays and cancellations on Sunday. “

First, let me go through the scorecard so you can tell who the players are.

Airservices Australia is a “corporatized” FAA. They’re owned by the Australian government but they’re run like a business. (Every controller in America just winced.)

Civil Air is the NATCA of Australia. They’re the union that represents the controllers. But unlike America, Australian labor laws still have some teeth. And Australia still has some union members. Well, for now anyway. (Side story on labor for those interested. Note that John Howard and George W. Bush were mates.)

So, Airservices Australia just canceled summer vacations and Civil Air -- as you can imagine -- is madder than a wet hen. (Cut snake ? Really ? And I thought the Brits talked funny.)

”Civil Air executive secretary Peter McGuane last night labelled the leave cancellation as a knee-jerk reaction, which supported the union's claim there were not enough air traffic controllers and undermined Airservices' claim that last Sunday's problems were unique.

Mr McGuane said Airservices had apparently learned nothing from the flight problems of the past two years, and accused it of spinning to politicians and media while increasing overtime for controllers. “

Speaking of spin...

”Airservices has denied it is understaffed and this week said it had an operational requirement for 889 staff but had 908 currently available and 960 on the books. It also had 33 trainees in the final stages of training.

"There have been occasions when a number of controllers have called in sick at the same time," a spokesman said last night. "While we have had a full complement of staff on the roster, no one has been available to replace those absent." “

What does “full complement of staff on the roster” mean exactly ? And why wasn’t anyone “available” ? I know American controllers jump at overtime money. Perhaps that’s a cultural difference. Or perhaps greed is a universal human trait and, in fattening profits, Airservices cut their staffing to the bone and there wasn’t anyone left that could or would come in for overtime.

It’s so hard to tell from the other side of the world.

"We're (Virgin Blue) an airline. We don't cancel flights because a pilot doesn't show up," he said. "They do get sick, we know everyone gets sick, but we pay a lot of money to have reserves."

Or maybe it’s not so hard to tell.

Don Brown
September 18, 2009

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