[Peetwo]

ASA beyond the Harfwit?? - 

Well apparently Harfwit is finally 'Dead, Buried and Cremated!' - YEE HAH! 

Handing over to Acting CEO Curran and we see that there has been progress with the ATCO EBA negotiations...

Via the Oz:

Pay rise plus $8k bonus averts air traffic controllers’ strike



Travellers have been spared major disruption by an air traffic controllers’ strike after an agreement was reached by Airservices, promising a pay rise and $8000 bonus.

The hard-fought deal came after controllers’ voted in favour of 24-hour strikes at 27 airports across the country in May.

It was the first time in more than 20 years that controllers had backed industrial action, and followed months of frustration emanating from staff shortages, resulting in potentially risky airspace closures.

Airservices noted that all protected industrial action had now been formally terminated following the declaration of the ballot in support of the new agreement.

It was a reasonably close result with 1097 air traffic controllers lodging a vote: 62 per cent were in favour, and 38 per cent against.

Among the features of the deal were pay rises totalling 11.2 per cent over three years and an $8000 bonus for signing on to the new agreement that could be taken in cash or added to super­annuation.

Another feature of the deal was a multi-location allowance designed to build extra resilience across the network, and a “refined classification structure” intended to ensure operational readiness.

Airservices acting CEO Peter Curran thanked all who had participated in the negotiations and achieved a “positive result”.

“This agreement will enable us to build operational resilience so we can provide the best possible service for Australia’s aviation industry and the travelling public,” Mr Curran said.

Civil Air president Tom McRobert said it was a difficult agreement to negotiate to get the right balance for everyone. He said the group was glad it did not have to resort to industrial action.

“It takes a big toll on the travelling public and we wanted to avoid that if possible,” Mr McRobert said. He said the agreement would go some way to addressing its staffing concerns, but that it was a long, slow process.

“We’ve got a bunch of new projects, all of which require extra staff, so it’s a constant battle,” Mr McRobert said.

“We’re still getting issues where we have to restrict air work, but we’re not having quite as many closures as we were.”

Some of the main “problem areas” were Avalon, Albury and Alice Springs, where a lack of staff meant frequent airspace closures.

There was also a continued reliance on “TIBA”, or traffic information broadcasts, by aircraft, which meant pilots had to report their position to others in the absence of air traffic control.

“It takes a long time training air traffic controllers, particularly in certain areas, but the agreement includes an increase in the training allowance, which is a big win,” Mr McRobert said.

“It means more recognition for training, which is at the heart of everything we do.”

I also note that the RRAT Committee has finalised it's Budget Estimates report where it states as a summary of the recent shambolic ASA evidence provided, the following...

Airservices Australia

2.8 The committee was provided with evidence from Airservices Australia on 29 May 2024, and they discussed the following matters:

• occupancy and selection process for the Chief Executive Officer role at Airservices Australia (pp. 3–6, and 18–21);
  
• Mr Harfield’s attendance at Budget Estimates (pp. 5–6, and 15–17);
  
• Traffic Information Broadcast by Aircraft (TIBA) (pp. 6–11, and 17–21);
  
• aircraft noise impact and mitigation at Hobart Airport (pp. 11–13);
  
• environmental assessment of flight paths around Hobart (p. 12);
  
• Airservices Australia engagement in Brisbane (pp. 13–15, 27, and 43);
  
• aircraft noise impact and mitigation at Brisbane Airport (pp. 21–23, and 31–35);
  
• increase in service fees from airlines (pp. 23–26);
  
• Brisbane Airport runway operations (pp. 27–32);
  
• executive renumeration at Airservices Australia (pp. 35–36, and 46–47);
  
• Western Sydney Airport flight paths and complaints (pp. 37–39); and
  
• freedom of information request sent to Airservices Australia (pp. 39–46).
  

Finally from Gentle Flyer off the UP...

AsA Board - What now

Airservices - More shenanigans in governance?

In February at Senate Estimates a Labor Senator questioned the AsA CEO (at the time) who and why were there so many people leaving the Board., Most posters here may think this is a good thing?

However after the disgusting game playing between the AsA Board, the Department and the Minister/Cabinet over the position of the previous CEO, the game playing seems to have continued…

The Chair’s term appears to have been extended by 12 months but to my knowledge there has been no press release. Did the minister just change a number and think no one would notice.

Was he kept on so he could clean up the mess, a Herculean task of cleaning out the stables of horsecrap, though the minister seems to have allowed the Chair one year and not one day as per the original Greek myth. Must be a lot of excrement!

Yet another S*&^show question for Senator Bridget to ask but never to get an answer.

The deep state corruption in the Canberra agencies and public service are a clear and present danger to democracy in Australia and “sleazy Albanese” may dream of more celebrity journalism releases whilst Australian whistleblowers rot in Australian jails

Can’t wait for Xi to ask about political prisoners in Australia in a note attached to the new pandas….

 MTF...P2