Though Europe has supposedly been integrated, special interests have kept national air traffic control systems separate. That’s led to inefficient routings which take longer, and for airlines to burn more fuel contributing more emissions. (European governments are a key contributor to aviation CO2.)
These air traffic control fiefdoms are getting even worse? In fact, they’ve just agreed to union demands giving controllers:
- The right to show up for work three hours late
- The right to knock off work three hours early
- A raise of more than $19,000
- 18 more days off each year
- Retirement pensions at age 59
The deal cost will be passed onto airlines and ultimately ticket prices, and prevents a strike during the summer Olympics.
In fact the ‘showing up late’ provisions just codify current practice.
The controllers are said to earn up to £93,000-a-year and often only work 75 per cent of the 32 hours a week, they are contracted for.
There are claims some actually go on holiday or head off skiing when they are scheduled to be working.
One told Le Parisien newspaper he often checked in with colleagues on how busy air traffic was before he set off for a 9am shift- and if it was quiet he went back to bed until 11.
Another said managers didn’t mind so long as people were ‘contactable’ in case of a problem – but added ‘sometimes we’ve found ourselves calling guys who were abroad.’
While hero air traffic controllers in Beirut have worked up to 24 hour shifts and 96 hours per week, yet France supposedly has an air traffic controller shortage. Is it any mystery why?
Note to self: Don’t fly in or out of French airports and avoid connections in France.
Ah yes, the French… I’ll bet Putin was quaking in his boots when Macron started yapping about sending French troops to Ukraine 🙂
Don’t blame the controllers or even their union, they just asked for these benefits. The government gave it to them. Stop blaming the workers for taking what they can, blame those agreeing to it.
Liberalism is dooming the world.
Aren’t air traffic controllers in France more typically voting right of center than left of center?
“Liberalism” in much of Europe has traditionally meant something very different than “liberalism” in the US. Traditional continental European liberals have typically been right of center.
That whole taking-trains-instead-of-flying-within-France concept is starting to sound much better.
But the 93K salary is peanuts. I think US ATC folks make a lot more.
Certainly seems like a recipe for success. What could possibly go wrong?
I hope they allow an “air trafficker for a day” program to fill the void. I’ve always thought I’d be good at it.
Calling people heroes for working safety critical 24 hour shifts is idiotic.
Is the job still open? Since English is the international language of air traffic control I shouldn’t have any trouble filling in.
Well…NO more flying in yo CDG!!
That deal could have been better, why should they have to show up at all? Maybe they can do their job over the phone, or on an Atari 2600? Retirement pensions ay 59, why not 39? If the government is going to broker a brain dead deal, why not go for full stupidity?
Wow, this is the most capitalist, anti-union piece I’ve read in a long time.
Note to self: Gary prefers tiered/overworked ATC, all to save the Airlines a few bucks (which I’m sure they’d totally pass the saving right onto him).
Good For Them
Im down for this. ATC is a high stakes job. If you wake up feeling crappy, you probably shouldn’t be required to manage the safety of billions of dollars of equipment, infrastructure, and the lives of thousands. Give ’em the option to show up an hour or two late.
Paying a good wage? ATC shouldn’t be worried about paying rent, they should be worried about the safety of thousands of people.
They are prevented from striking during the Olympics in exchange for a new favorable union contract? The system seems to be working.
Good on ‘ya French ATC. Keep the planes moving safely and efficiently.
The French are LAZY. Business do NOT want to be there because the labor Laws are So Unfavorable to the business. This is because the people of France are lazy and think they have all these rights. .
3 hours late to work….. yea in every other country they be shown the door.
The French are just a bumch of Treacherous land burning, work shy peasants.
@JOJO. You are truly a moron. The French have the second highest GDP per capita than murika. And they have more vacation and healthcare benefits. Translated for morons like yourself, they work hardet than murikans and get more bang for their buck.
Stay in your Talibama Trailer Park. It’s bad enough that ignorant, ugly americans like Leff make their presence known
This is a consequence of the free market
@Helldodge
Where are you getting your data? Wikipedia and other sites have France in the 20’s and have the US in the top 10 of GDP per capita.
If you’re going to excoriate Gary for his supposed anti-union views at least give credible evidence as to why. Otherwise you are just making him look even more competent.
The highest paid air traffic controllers in Europe take in more like 4-5 times as much money as that 93k figure. But they don’t start that high and most don’t get anywhere as close to that 4-5x amount.
I don’t know anything about the French ATC system but, as a retired ultra top level air traffic control tower operator (in the U.S.) who worked the job for 24 years I have found that ALL civilians know nothing about the job. They don’t know how to think about it, talk about it, imagine what it’s like to do it.
I loved the job!!!!!!!!! But trying to talk with people about it, blank stairs, blank minds and a total lack of ability to ask questions about it.
You misinterpret (purposefully?) the negotiations
The workers are allowed to leave early or come late depending *first* on whether or not there is a “clearance” (as determined by leadership /management).
This happens in many union and non union fields
We have this in my field (medicine).
Sometimes the hospital is unexpectedly quiet. If so we allow people to go home. Not only that we sometimes *mandate* it.
The reverse is also true. We can mandate you to work on your day off if we are overly busy
The controllers are getting a pay raise of €15,500.
But that only brings their pay to sound $95k.
Try living on that in Paris, Lyon, or Marseille!
Wow. Since when are humans “heroes” when Beirut ATC workers commit to working 24 hour shifts or 96 hour weeks, Gary ? They sound more like poor puppets and manipulated suckers to me.
America has become a sh*thole capitalist country where the poor and middle class are forced to work ungodly hours for low pay. At least in socialist countries like France, workers refuse to take crap from their employers, have a way better life than most Americans, and more importantly, are in *control” of their destiny, unlike most of us…
#MovingToEurope
Do the French really have a way better life than most Americans?
A comparison of lifespan? Of income per capita controlled for purchasing power? Of average time to commute to work? Of chances of a person or household member being hit by violent crime? Of chances of ending up deeply in debt? Of stress levels?
@GUWonder
“Better way of life” is subjective.
I have lived in France (Toulouse and Paris) as well as the US (SF, San Diego, St Louis, Minneapolis). I’ve spent considerable time (months) in LA, Seattle, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta.
There are major advantages to all of those places. And drawbacks. .
Although people like to mock them, The French are our longest allies (gave us the Statue of Liberty!!!)
The French way of life is amazing, as is life in all of the Social Democracies. Life inn the US is also amazing.
My personal feeling is that it is better to be poor, working class, middle class, or the lower tier of upper middle class in Europe.
It may be better to be in the top 10% in the US
Similar to the US states.
It’s popular to rag on California and applaud Florida and Texas these days. But it sucks being poor or even middle class in FL or TX.
People do, and should, migrate to places that align with their abilities and values.
Which is why someone like me moves to MSP and would never move to South Carolina (which is a lovely vacation destination, and a lovely place for some to live, just not a place that *I* would ever move to)
If you’ve never been to France. Go. You will love it. Ignore the propaganda.
Of all of the French things, this is the most French.
That’s much better than flight attendants at certain US airlines, who must show up on time but working is optional (and bury their noses in the latest novel).
Good for the French workers! They do not get abused at the hand of HyperCapitalism and the top 1% of the top 1%. They live a healthy and happy life. They are not required to work until they are dead like here in the states.
People in France (and other modern nations) work to live, not live to work like in the States.
Good for France!
@JRMW
Wow, really well stated! Fair, concise, non-partisan opinion. If only our journalists followed your example!
@ChadMC
“…Good for the French workers! …They are not required to work until they are dead like here in the states….” Um, French ATC now able to retire at age 59. For at least the last 35 years, US ATC can retire at age 50, and are REQUIRED to retire at age 56.
@Manny
Top US Certified Professional Controller (CPC) pay was $191,900 in 2023. That amount was for a senior ATC (non-supervisory position) at a major facilities and is pre overtime / shift differential pay.