'Selfish' air traffic controllers disrupt travel plans for thousands

[webfact]

'Selfish' air traffic controllers disrupt travel plans for thousands
By Keith Walker



PARIS: -- About a third of flights have been cancelled at French airports as air traffic controllers strike over caps on recruitment and lack of investment in new technology.

Low-cost airline Ryanair has slammed the aviation unions as “selfish.”

“I am flying to Malaga,” said one frustrated traveller, “so I am stuck in Paris for two days. I’ve flown from Munich. So I am here and I don’t know what to do.”

“I am ready to understand their situation, but they have to understand they live with customers,” said another.

Ryanair has pointed out it’s the 41st strike by French air traffic controllers in seven years.

It affects flights flying over France not even using French airports.

“We are exhausted by the situation,” explained Laurent Bertin, head of controllers’ UNSA Union, adding, “exhausted by the fact that there are constant job cuts with no answers from our management, or answers totally out-of-context.”

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely has called on the French government and the EU Commission to take action.

“It’s grossly unfair that thousands of ordinary European consumers have their travel and holiday plans disrupted by the actions of a selfish few,” he said.

Ryanair is urging consumers to sign its ‘Keep Europe’s Skies Open’ petition to the European Commission.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-22

[godden]

It's a French hobby

[boomerangutang]

If recruitment is being curtailed, then perhaps the a.t.controllers on duty are working long hours? I don't know, but you don't want controllers getting sleepy at the job.

[lensta]

"air traffic controllers strike over caps on recruitment and lack of investment in new technology"

If this is the reason that they are striking, then it seems a safety issue and they are concerned about the safety of passengers. They are not striking for increased salary or better conditions for themselves.

[i claudius]

They have been told they must cut their lunch break from 3 hours to 2hours 50 minutes .

[tomwct]

Fire them and then disband the unions! Great for the economy! No more 23 hour work weeks!

[RuamRudy]

Who would have thought it - Ryanair calling workers who seek better conditions 'selfish'?

" The high employee turnover at Ryanair points to the dissatisfaction that the employees are experiencing. The common complaints of employees leaving Ryanair is the oppressive work environment and practices, low pay and the lack of training and development programs for employees."

[petermik]

It's a French hobby

T B F

[steve187]

the french are always on stike or blockading something.

agree Ryanair are two faced

[KKr]

After beautiful AirFrance REFUSED to arrange for a HOTEL and did not arrange for a Schengen transit visa to get off the airport after they cancelled my flight to South America from Paris as it was not sufficiently booked and they combined the flight with the next days' one, that is one carrier I do not want to touch with a barchpole.
Seems my opinion on the French air travel is correct.

[CNXBKKMAN]

Does anyone remember the mid air collision between the russian airliner and a DHL aircraft over Switzerland? When the investigation was completed one of the facts was there was only one air traffic controller on duty in Zurich and this guy made an error.

I think we would all assume Swiss airspace and French airspace is totally safe with multiple air traffic controllers on top of everything but the crash over Switzerland proved that to be wrong. The french controllers say they are striking over safety and that may be very true.

[connda]

Selfish Airport owners and airlines could solve the problem by acknowledging the grievances of the ATC union.

[Basil B]

Why use the word "Selfish", the word "French" has the same sentiment...

[Usernames]

Just reading the headline, I knew it must be the French again.

[Rayk]

Unions suck...

[RuamRudy]

Unions suck...

As do corporations, and because every western government is firmly in the pockets of the industrial megacorps, there is nobody else looking out for the interests of the working man. Unions in general may be far from perfect, but they are all that stand in the way of further legalised exploitation.

[mopar71]

I can't believe I am the first to post this!....

Reagan fires 11,000 striking air traffic controllers Aug. 5, 1981

On this day in 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers who ignored his order to return to work. The sweeping mass firing of federal employees slowed commercial air travel, but it did not cripple the system as the strikers had forecast.

Two days earlier, nearly 13,000 controllers walked out after talks with the Federal Aviation Administration collapsed. As a result, some 7,000 flights across the country were canceled on that day at the peak of the summer travel season.

http://www.politico.com/story/2008/08/reagan-fires-11-000-striking-air-traffic-controllers-aug-5-1981-012292

Reagan had been the head of his union and a lifetime AFL-CIO member. He drew a distinction however between private sector and gov't sector where the public's safety is at risk.

Edited March 22, 2016 by mopar71

[Krataiboy]

One line giving the striking workers' point of view and the rest anti-union propaganda. Typical biased reporting from a mass media which has morphed from watchdog of the people to mouthpiece for the corporate/political oligarchy which now controls all our lives.

[than]

If recruitment is being curtailed, then perhaps the a.t.controllers on duty are working long hours? I don't know, but you don't want controllers getting sleepy at the job.

Oh no, if they work 11 hour per days with 25% of rest time

They work 32 hour per week. In reality french ATC work work 3 days during 8 hour and have 3 days off.

Example in Germany ATC work maximun 36 hour per week, Denmark 37 Hour per weeks.

French ATC are really selfish like other corporation who doesn't want to France go forward

http://www.20minutes.fr/economie/1171819-20130611-20130611-controleurs-aeriens-sont-ils-privilegies

http://www.senat.fr/lc/lc115/lc115_mono.html

Edited March 22, 2016 by than

[how241]

i claudius, on 22 Mar 2016 - 09:45, said:

They have been told they must cut their lunch break from 3 hours to 2hours 50 minutes .

Good one ! ha ha ha

[Andaman Al]

Next headline: 400 die in mid air collision as selfish tired air traffic controllers could not be bothered to upgrade technology.

Passengers take safety as a given, they want everything at the lowest price and dont give a s**t about the people responsible for their safety. Till it all goes wrong of course. The aviation industry has had to apply itself and work very very hard to improve safety in the last 25 years. Watch what happens when we stop trying to improve safety. NOTE: These guys were not going on strike for more pay they were striking for better equipment to ensure passenger safety. If every passenger would have joined the strike and refused to get on the aircraft until the equipment was promised to be delivered, it would be there in position already!

[chickenslegs]

They have been told they must cut their lunch break from 3 hours to 2hours 50 minutes .

... and no wine with lunch.

[Baerboxer]

"air traffic controllers strike over caps on recruitment and lack of investment in new technology"

If this is the reason that they are striking, then it seems a safety issue and they are concerned about the safety of passengers. They are not striking for increased salary or better conditions for themselves.

Check how many times French Air Traffic controllers have been involved in industrial actions over the years. My first experience with them disrupting flights was in 1978.

[arunsakda]

A 737 half full of pax just died in Russia due Pilots worked to death with no Union Protections in Dubai.

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