Air Traffic Controllers Strikes July Spain

Hi,

My partner is due to travel to UK from Malaga on 25 July as she has to get back for a funeral. We have seen news of an air traffic controller's strike that morning when she is due to fly. Does anyone know what this actually means? Are flights likely to be cancelled or postponed?

Thank you,

Jane

Hi Jane

Here is more information for you. Hope it helps.

http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/26143/weekend-air-traffic-controller-strikes-will-affect-all-spanish-terminals

Thank you

Little treasures aren't they? 

They consider themselves to be all powerful, however I do recall several nations air forces taking over their duties a few years ago, is it unreasonable for emergency services employees to be contracted not to strike?

I totally agree. They can bring mayhem to thousands of people and a non-strike clause should be written into their contracts in my opinion.

Jane

Anyone asked "why did they strike in 2010" in first place? Nope!? All about "ME" "ME" "ME" isen't it.......I actually had to pay an extra £55 and lost 3 days of my 6 day hols that year. But I still support them...

golfinjim,

Perhaps you would be kind enough to give us mere mortals chapter and verse. 

Exactly. Why did you support them? They receive little sympathy as they are paid 6 times the national average wage and disrupt people's lives. Not just holiday makers but travellers who need to fly for family/personal reasons such as visiting sick relatives or funerals 

Exactly. Why did you support them? **** They receive little sympathy as they are paid 6 times the national average wage **** and disrupt people's lives. Not just holiday makers but travellers who need to fly for family/personal reasons such as visiting sick relatives or funerals 

Do they really get over 4.500€ a month then?

www.prospects.ac.uk/air_traffic_controller_salary.htm

Check out this interesting article about air traffic controller pay in Spain. There’s no doubt in my mind that air traffic controllers should be well paid. They have ridiculously stressful and high pressure jobs and should be compensated accordingly. But check out how much they make in Spain:

Of 2,300 controllers, ten were paid between €810,000 (£725,000) and €900,000 last year. A further 226 were paid between €450,000 and €540,000 and 701 were paid between €270,000 and €360,000.

The average basic salary is €200,000 but most double or triple this amount by working overtime.

The above article is from 2010,  so what the hell do they earn now then? surely it cant be these wage earners on strike for more.

Wow! There should definitely be a NO STRIKE clause in contracts ..!!

Wow! There should definitely be a NO STRIKE clause in contracts ..!!

I have to admit I was shocked at the amount of pay for the traffic Controllers in Spain, I had to read the article and check it out a good few times just to believe it, it's still hard to believe that this type of work  can demand this amount of pay,  can only think it's one of those types of jobs that only a few get through the selection process......Or just another 'Newspaper"  no so accurate story. 

No doubt if you spoke to a controller about this amount of pay it would be "Don't believe all you read in the papers"

Air Traffic Controllers like train drivers in the UK apparently do very stressful work which entitles them to very high salaries - or at least that's what their unions tell us. The reality is if you do a stressful job but exercising your right to withdraw your labour isn't going to cause chaos you can expect to be paid a normal wage

First - Really! You people cannot imagine the stress of this job? Load flightradar24 onto your mobiles. Then look at it during daytime business hours. I work for an aircraft manufacturing company, and we build A319 A320 A321 A330 A340 A350 A380. A320's alone..........one is either landing or taking off ever FIVE SECONDS. Now look at flightradar24.

Second - They went on strike because of plans to replace all the European Air Traffic controllers with "Fast track" trained eastern europeans. I would not fly at all if that happened - Truly. So they were protecting you....and yes their own jobs too. But I think they are worth any wage at all. Bet the same people who moaned about the wage on here don't moan at Premier footballers wages for kicking a ball about. 550 lives per A380 is in their hands. Stress like you've never seen it, especially if you look how many aircraft are in the sky at once.

golfinjim,

Most posts are anti strike, which I agree with, the police are banned from striking, IMHO all emergency public service employees should be treat the same, including air traffic controllers. I have no problem with their levels of pay, what I don't agree with is the manner that they achieve their salary increases. 

First - Really! You people cannot imagine the stress of this job? Load flightradar24 onto your mobiles. Then look at it during daytime business hours. I work for an aircraft manufacturing company, and we build A319 A320 A321 A330 A340 A350 A380. A320's alone..........one is either landing or taking off ever FIVE SECONDS. Now look at flightradar24.

Second - They went on strike because of plans to replace all the European Air Traffic controllers with "Fast track" trained eastern europeans. I would not fly at all if that happened - Truly. So they were protecting you....and yes their own jobs too. But I think they are worth any wage at all. Bet the same people who moaned about the wage on here don't moan at Premier footballers wages for kicking a ball about. 550 lives per A380 is in their hands. Stress like you've never seen it, especially if you look how many aircraft are in the sky at once.

Very good post explaining the situation in greater detail, but if you were not to fly just because of these Eastern Europeans you could well miss out on a lot, but another point no doubt.

I have great issue when being told that a particular work is hard , stressful, long hours, and so on, also I fully agree with you about the idiot footballers on a wages that make you blink.

But...And a big but, to my mind the only people who deserve any kind of massive wage on par with traffic control are Surgeons and Nurses, these are the stressed out "Experts" of the world.

If these air traffic controllers are indeed as you say so stressed out surely any amount of money shouldn't  compensate for that person in charge of so many aircraft and lives. Giving a stressed out person massive wages wont make that person any more the safe to do the job.

Posts in similarity to these make me think of the excuse's that the banks use..."We have to pay them millions, to get the best people" .....Remembering these people helped to make the balls up in the first place, so hardly the best then! 

Forget the exact maths but if these 'poor' ATC's are sooooooooooooooooo stressed out and earning lets say €350,000 per annum surely they should employ more operators to do the work. So instead of paying one over-worked stressed out guy/gal €350,000 p.a. why not employ 3 guys/gals each at €100,000 p.a. Each person would only work one third of the time  and pass his/her exceedingly stressful load onto a 'fresh' person and then go and rest his/her poor weary head!

Advantages to employer:- employees always fresh, saving of €50,000 p.a. per existing employee etc.etc.

Advantages to employees:- only one third as stressful as before, no need to stress out because you are 'sick' and can't do your work as someone is always available to take over from you. more leisure time to spend your income etc. etc.

So in this scenario everyone wins.... simples!!!

steone,

I would hazzard a guess that the costs of training more controllers would outweigh the savings in reducing work hours, and the extra training programme would be ongoing, bring on robotic air traffic controllers.   

Hephaestus - Good point regards police etc unable to strike. However when MP's have been awarded 10% pay rises and nurses lucky if they are to get 2%........It's wrong. There should be a way that they can take action to protest against this. So too should police, firemen/women, and all other services "including atc's."

Steone - As mentioned training (ongoing). Also pensions, employee insurance, and other incidentals, reduce or eliminate totally any savings. And extra handovers increase the risk of errors too.

Baz1946 - Totally agree with you regards surgeons and nurses. I have gone on strike in the past in support of these amazing dedicated people. However Maggie and subsequent governments have made it almost impossible to strike now. (and are in the process of making it more difficult today). So as above, how can these people including atc's protest (Btw I am NOT a militant striker or union member).  Also, paying a higher wage may not remove the stress whilst still employed in this job. But it allows you to retire or move to a stress free job sooner.....hopefully before you burn out.