why is there a strike in france?

[bravomike]

Hi

Anybody knows the real reason of the 4-day strike of "some" controllers in France?

Greetings

Mike.

[speedbird1]

Extract from Bloomberg BusinessWeek:

Controllers want to block European Union plans to create what’s known as a “Single European Sky” by merging control centers and eliminating surplus ones. In the first stage of the agreement, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland are scheduled to sign a treaty later this year.

--Editor: Chris Jasper.

Regards,
Ems

[EBBU]

As far as I understand what is going on in France :

Part of the unions in France are opposed to any reform of the european ATC landscape. The people on strike want to keep the situation unchanged. (National ANSPs)
I also heard that the strike is an attempt to undermine the MOSAIC project which is supported by several professional ATCO associations representing controllers from FABEC states... (Some unions appear to feel threatened by these professional associations).

Does anyone know if this is a correct representation of what is going on? (Just looking for some confirmation here...)

more about MOSAIC : http://www.project-mosaic.eu/objectives

[TCAS_climb]

French ATC staff have a job for life and enjoyed privileges for decades. The trick is that these privileges (work 1h, get paid for 2.5h) will not go on with the Single European Sky, and have no legal foundations. Even the French Cour des Comptes recently published an incendiairy report against their opaque practices.

No wonder they fight against the end of their privileges.

[Nevihta]

French ATC staff have a job for life and enjoyed privileges for decades. The trick is that these privileges (work 1h, get paid for 2.5h) will not go on with the Single European Sky, and have no legal foundations. Even the French Cour des Comptes recently published an incendiairy report against their opaque practices.

No wonder they fight against the end of their privileges.

- French cour des comptes publish incendiairy reports against many things and is not politically neutral.
- Many wrong things have been written about ATCO privileges in France, Spain or anywhere else without knowing the working conditions and understanding the concerns.