French Air Traffic Control Strikes
Just what are they about?
This is the best article we've come across.
http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr
and here's the translation
Air traffic controllers: the blockages at the dawn of an overhaul
By AFP, published 04.13.2015 at 15:41 Updated to 3:41 p.m.
Paris - All actors in air navigation agree: work organization more flexible air traffic controllers is essential, but the first traffic controllers' union, threatening to strike again, wants to have its say.
On this question, like other " specific issues "to the trade, the SNCTA (49.8% of the vote among controllers), wants to negotiate" categorical agreements "and threat of another strike from Thursday to Saturday.
BACKGROUND
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), controllers, supervisory authority, addicted to the Secretary of State Transport, launched in the summer of 2014 in-depth work on the organization and the operating conditions of business air traffic control Engineers (ICNA).
The goal 'Increase productivity while enrollment are required to decrease (from 160 to 170 officers by 2020), in a traffic growth environment with seasonal peaks increasingly marked.
The DGAC has 11,500 employees including 4,000 air traffic controllers.
The working group of government through the floor on the subject, chaired by Jean-Michel Vernhes, president of the Union of French Airports (UAF), presented on March 31 its latest proposals. In the process, the government announced that by the end of April a meeting on " experiments in the organization of work . "
CURRENT WORKING CONDITIONS
The controllers work 1,420 hours per year, which corresponds to an average of 32 hours per week and 8 weeks of annual leave. This time includes breaks time (up to 25% of the time for a vacation) and hundreds of hours of training per year.
The work is organized in shifts 11 hours maximum on the day (12 hours at night) spread over of 6 to 12 days cycles. Night work and holidays is also not paid but results in recovery days.
In the end, the controllers work on average every other day of the year. In practice, usually three days, followed by three days off.
The Court of Auditors recommended in recent years the DGCA to review these cycles to limit the length of vacations traffic controllers, longer than their European counterparts. The rule of the work of " every other day "hinders productivity and is inconsistent with the objectives of security, was within the Court in 2011.
PROPOSALS ON THE TABLE
The Mission Vernhes advocates " to increase the number of shifts of work for the densest periods "of trafficking, particularly in summer. And off-peak, reduce the contrary the number of shifts. It proposes to " meet "some" basics ": maintaining a" teamwork "," guarantee of table predictable service "and" work on alternate days on average over the year . "
Overall, the number of days worked would not change but attendances would be " shorter and more frequent during periods of heavy traffic , "says Olivier Joffrin, the USAC-CGT (second union). " There will be changes, we do not deny that. The recommended measures may be valid for most seasonal centers , "he says. But changing the rules leave, " it is trading, controllers have a social life , "said the delegate.
On the merits, the SNCTA also claims to be willing to " discuss "Roger Rousseau and his representative said he was" rather favorable "to Vernhes proposals. If he accepts the principle of more frequent vacations to the peaks, the first union claims " a drop in the overall working time "via a reduction in attendances at 8.5 hours maximum, reducing the break time. He also asked for " incentive measures "such as" significant wage increases . "
But the fact of a categorical SNCTA prior agreement. USAC-CGT union first globally DGAC (all staff) before the UNSA-ICNA and SNCTA refuses. The three unions have an appointment Monday afternoon to the DGCA to discuss the " framework and method of social negotiation, adapted to the air traffic control business . "
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