Air traffic controllers in the news

[QF WP]

The nation's air traffic controllers have launched an extraordinary bid for pay rises of up to 63 per cent, deepening the crisis in the airline industry and putting further pressure on the Rudd Government's inflation strategy....

 

[Kendall Roy]

Bloody unions!

 

[straitman]

Bloody unions!

sydbloke,

Agree with the 'Bloody Unions' sentiment except I seriously believe that Air Traffic Controllers are worth what they are asking for.

 

[QF WP]

I have 3 mates who are with ATC in BNE. I agree they deserve a pay rise, but that much? But it is like any negotiation, they are putting forward more than they could ever hope to achieve and the counterparty will put their position (a low-ball counter-offer). Let's see where they agree on...

 

[straitman]

I have 3 mates who are with ATC in BNE. I agree they deserve a pay rise, but that much? But it is like any negotiation, they are putting forward more than they could ever hope to achieve and the counterparty will put their position (a low-ball counter-offer). Let's see where they agree on...

I agree that it's a huge pay rise and way excessive for a single set of negotiations. Having said that I still strongly believe that they are significantly under paid at present and as such deserve considerably more than the standard rises that are going around at present.

 

[trooper]

It is over 3 years and it IS no doubt an ambit claim as already suggested.... offer... counter offer... rinse and repeat....

 

[SeaWolf]

They aren't asking for a uniform 63% raise anyway, there are different claims being made for each pay level. The attention grabbing headline of 63% only applies to the 'College Trainee' level.

There's a pretty strong rational that this will help attract more people to the career path and reduce the shortage of controllers. After all, having to spend a year living on very low wages till you get certified isn't very appealing at all, especially if you've just relocated to Melbourne for the training and are cash-strapped because of it. On top of that, how much is it costing the airlines when places like PER are forced to close their towers because they're so short of workers they can't find anyone to cover a shift? The airlines would be better off thinking of it as a long term investment in people.

 

[Platy]

Bloody unions!

Actually it is their duty to look after the interests of their members.

Just as it is behoven to CEOs/Boards to look after the interests of their shareholders.

The nation voted against an IR system which featured only individual wage deals since most people have sufficient intelligence to realise that in most cases an individual person has far less bargaining power than an employing organisation and will get screwed (just as was rife under the WorkChoices system).

In some industries there is a skills shortage. If you are a genuine capitalist (as your trite remark suggests) you should expect market forces to determine the cost/value of labour.

Air traffic control is one area in which there is insufficient supply at current valuation (ie current wages are insufficient to ensure enough workers to handle the volume of work required).

I suppose you don't have a problem with people in the mining sector earning big dollars do you? And you wouldn't cite that industry, or large pay increases on AWAs, or large increases for CEOs to be intrinsically inflationary would you?

 

[markis10]

After all, having to spend a year living on very low wages till you get certified isn't very appealing at all, especially if you've just relocated to Melbourne for the training and are cash-strapped because of it.

While living away from their normal city they get additional allowances that cover the extra costs quite nicely, its been that way for a long time. $31K is a lot more than your average Uni Student gets and their is no debt at the end of the course such as HECs either.