Spanish No Fly

The Spanish air-traffic controllers have given up controlling traffic. They all had a sick day at the end of last week and that left some people stuck in airports. I know how a bug can rip through a workplace come flu season, so I’m not going to say it’s impossible that every single one of them felt a bit crook... across the country... all at once.

From the ABC News Website:

The government declared a state of emergency for the first time since 1975, putting controllers under military command with the threat of jail terms for refusing orders.

Air traffic controllers claimed that Spanish troops forced them to work at gunpoint, but the local press and people were unmoved, given that the average controller earns close to $300,000 a year.

I have found that people who are in a position to hold a lot of other people to ransom in order to secure a pay rise can engender a bit of resentment. I was a bus driver in a town where clearing your throat close to a union rep’s loudhailer would bring politicians running with cheque books. It felt nice to be wanted but even I could see that some of the boys were 'swinging the lead'.

But, if there’s a group of people I wouldn’t want working at gun-point; if there was a team that I would want to arrive to work with a certain enthusiasm for their task and a relaxed and competent outlook, it would be air-traffic controllers.