One of the employees of the military air traffic control told the newspaper that they ‘do not manage regularly’. Due to the large shortage, there would have been several times in recent months when the military air traffic control could not offer services. That means: leading aircraft safely through Dutch airspace.
From December 2017, the soldiers work together with their civil colleagues from the Air Traffic Control The Netherlands (LVNL) at Schiphol. These two groups keep all air traffic (military and civil) up to 7500 meters above our country.
Differ military and civil air traffic control
Due to a combination of circumstances, this work is in danger, the newspaper writes. Due to a delay in the merger with the LVNL, where there are more wages and better working conditions, more and more employees of military air traffic control are leaving.
Although the soldiers do the same work as their colleagues from the LVNL, they fall under the general defense CAO because of the merger problems. Their civil colleagues have other employment conditions, which would be a lot better. In addition, there is a big difference in the salary and that the rules for leave and vacations differ considerably.
Consequences of military air traffic control
The failed integration and the crooked relationships in salary and employment conditions has major consequences, the newspaper concludes. On the operational unit at Schiphol-Oost that supervises air traffic, three people left in seventeen workplaces in a short time. As a result, there would be no reserves and leave is hardly possible.
The result is that safety in air traffic is troubled. In the past year that has been “very seriously compromised,” the newspaper writes. According to the defense -clockers, the work does not comply with the civil legislation that applies to the supervision of air traffic and very limited to military regulations. The Air Force and Defense deny this. An air force spokesperson says to Het Parool that the staff ‘only deployed in accordance with the regulations’. Also with shortages.
The soldiers contradict that. According to them, many supporting functions are not fulfilled. In addition, books and procedures would no longer be updated, resulting in possible dangerous situations.
‘Number of successes have been achieved’
According to the newspaper, the merger failed, but this contradicts both the Air Force, Defense and the LVNL. The three parties inform the newspaper that successes have been achieved on a number of subprojects. It is said that the transfer of military certification to a civil air certification is more complex than previously thought. The three parties let them know that they will stick to full integration and are confident that concrete steps will be taken in the coming months.