I didn't fire them... they QUIT!!!
Posted on 12/03/2010 2:42:42 PM PST by Cardhu
The Spanish government has said it will allow its military to take control of airspace if air traffic controllers do not return to work.
The controllers staged an unofficial walkout over working hours, leaving passengers across the country facing huge disruption.
The group called in sick en masse, closing down airspace over Spain - except the southern region of Andalucia.
The government has called on controllers to resume work immediately or defence will assume control of the airspace.
Airport operator AENA condemned the mass, coordinated action, saying it was an "intolerable" and "irresponsible" act which hit more than 200,000 passengers at the start of a long weekend.
It warned of disciplinary dismissals and said the action may even be considered criminal.
Controllers started calling in sick and leaving their posts around 4pm GMT at airports around Spain.
"Around 90% of controllers abandoned their work posts," resulting in the mass shutdown, said an airport spokesman.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodrigo Zapatero has approved austerity measures to partially privatise airports."
Mr. Reagan please pick up the white courtesy phone...
“The strike completely shut down travel into and out of Madrid-Barajas airport — a central hub in the capital city — as well as the airspace over the holiday islands of Ibiza, Mallorca, and Menorca, a trio known as the Balaeric islands. Flights into Barcelona and Sevilla were drastically reduced but not canceled. The El Pais newspaper estimated that at least 250,000 passengers were already affected by the walk-out.”
Daily Mail
I wish...
Coming to an airport near you?
Fire them. Fire them all.
See RWR for the methodology.
Fire em all like Ronald Maximus did.
Holy Toledo!
...Y Santiago de Compostela...
Could someone please post a reliable and accurate source for Reagan’s firing of the strikers? Some younger folks have been fed a load of crap on that issue.
At his is the time of the year that the Spanish Government subsidizes its pensioners to visit the South of Spain the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.
It is so much better to put the money into subsidize holidays for the pensioners than pay the thousands of employees in the Service Industry an unemployment check.
Other European countries do the same thing - the Costa del Sol, Canaries and Balearic Islands are full of Scandinavians and Germans at this time of the year.
I have been on several of these holidays. I know that in the Canary Island the Scandinavians rent entire hotels for these months to send their elder people to the sun to avoid their severe winters.
Regan did fire all those air traffic controllers when they refused to return to work when ordered. He also decertified the Union and forbade any fired worker from ever working for the government again.
I do not remember if the latter sanction was ever recinded but certainly not on his watch.
I didn't fire them... they QUIT!!!
This should help relations with the spaniards
Spanish air traffic controllers can earn a staggering £800,000 a year, despite holding numerous strikes over the past few years and causing hell for British holidaymakers.
Many are earning up to ten times more than the Spanish prime minister, and more than 50 times the average salary in the country.
Their huge pay scale will come as something of a surprise to Britons whose holidays have been ruined by striking controllers.
The average basic salary is €200,000 (£176k), but most workers double or triple this by working overtime.
Of 2,300 controllers, ten were paid between €810,000 (£725k) 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.
In Spain, air traffic controllers work 12-hour days made up of two four-hour shifts and two, two-hour rest periods. British workers are paid an average of £60,000 but this can rise to around £90,000, according to NATS, the air traffic information service. Their French counterparts take home €110,000.
Spanish air traffic controllers caused heavy delays in 2002 and 2003 by striking.
Thank you both.
I just get so sick of the old, “Reagan just fired them all because he’s mean and hates unions,” line.
At the time of the strike, PATCO was an affiliate of MEBA, Marine Engineers Beneficial Associate. The president of MEBA, Jessie Calhoon advised the PATCO leadership not to strike. The ultimate irony of the strike and the subsequent outcome is that both PATCO and the MEBA endorsed Reagan over Carter.
What I also remember is that Reagan made it quite clear that if the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike, he would fire them. They did not believe him. Also, I remember at the time, the MSM said Reagan would not fire them and that Drew Lewis, his secretary of transportation was a mediocre empty suit and would back down if PATCO went on strike. Well the leadership of PATCO underestimated Reagan's resolve.
Paging Ronaldo Regano...
(then repeat back at top)
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