Interview with the first assistant of the chief Northern-Caucus Center "Strela" V.P. Jukov
Vladimir Petrovich, how do you estimate the last year in respect of our service?ATC system is a system of dynamic objects management that is why it is hard to say something in advance. When the year was not over yet we could evaluate it "not bad", even "good".
Tell me, please, where did you experience more difficulties at Northern-Caucus's Civil Aviation Department or here at "Strela"?
This is a common question, you know, but I can say, that in certain periods of time, it was hard here as well as there. It is hard to choose, everything depends upon time, age and circumstances.
Do you think if the structure of our service is an optimal variant for today?
No, it is not. Humanity has not reached optimal yet. And I think we should work to reach it.
Is work in progress?
Of course, it is. If I said "no", I shouldn't be sitting here.
What basic problem of our service would you underline specially?
Problems of our service shouldn't be considered separately from functioning of civil aviation on the whole and I can say even more, separately from the whole transport system of Russia. This problem is familiar not only for us but judging from the report of USA secretary of state. Mister Albert Gore, which we scrutinized, this problem is world wide. Adapted to our situation this problem is complicated with economic condition of carrying out (production). Our specialists can do everything, but they can not work gratis. This is the main problem for the present moment economics puts its mark on psychology of people and their technological activity.
Is there a strict demarcation of activity between you and chief of service?
Edward Yurievich, you know, the more strict demarcation is, the more narrow-minded man is. The more legible instruction is, the less discretion for personality, for specialist. I think it is very hard to estimate, for instance, the chief of service and the deputy head, as an occupation and of course it is hard to estimate them as personalities. Yes, it happens sometimes he makes decisions, sometimes even without my assent. And of course I can settle instead of him. Sometimes conflicts take place, but we try to solve problems.
We all controllers and head staff have instruction, where it is written: "controller is obliged, has right to.., is responsible for..." Do you have similar instruction?
Of course, I do. I can demonstrate it to you. Here is it. It was not me, who wrote it. It is hard to write for yourself, you take a risk of being not objective, but here it is signed by Mr. Svetlov. I familiarized with it.
Vladimir Petrovich is signing of contract - a new form of trade agreement?
Сontract is one of the variants of trade agreement. This innovation was introduced in connection with democratization of state legislation. Contract defines more concrete questions of rights and duties of enterprise administration and specialists. I have no contract like this.
Have no yet?
Not yet. There are certain juridical reasons when agreement should be supported with contract. Now concretely about your question why controller instructor concludes the contract.
Yes, why doesn't ordinary controller conclude the contract?
Because a little change took place in ATC service structure. There existed the departments of organization of ATC and PT (professional training). Now we joined these departments. The structural change occurred, the occupation of controller instructor took name "controller-instructor of RCC". In this connection administration could reconciled trade relations. But on the whole, we did not offend anyone. Surely, there were same frictions, it is natural, but none left and none was dispensed. Contract is also provided for new employees and persons put forward to leading staff. But if you don't wan to transact, it is your right not to do it.
Tell me, please, in conditions of low traffic intensity, is staff reduction probable or it depends upon the decision of Moscow?
First of all I'd like to answer from myself. As an ATC specialist I would never desire that reduction took place. It is my subjective opinion. Since the beginning of "Strela"'s functioning in 1991 no single specialist was dispensed due to staff reduction. For today intensity descend is evident, but we fulfil ATC in a specific region of CC CPSU and USSR government concerning automatization of our region after Moscow. Very often not intensity of traffic, but complication of routes and some other factors determine the organization of work. For today, I think, that we reached almost optimal organization of work. Any economic questions which can bring us to staff reduction in my opinion, will be not logic. So, we shouldn't even talk about staff reduction.
In the light of recent strikes, does not matter whether they took place or not, can you say, that member of head staff is a potential strikebreaker?
My own opinion is that strike is not a method and a principle of decision any conflict questions. I'll try to explain on the contrary. Let us refer to the "charter of air traffic controllers` trade union". I think, that it is a violation of human and specialists rights when some categories of head staff of administration have no rights to be members of trade union. It is not your fault that you reached high qualification and you were appointed a chief. You remain a good specialist, not worse than those members of trade union, and I don't know what reasons for such restrictions are. So, that's why I consider the decision of our trade union wrong.
You mean the withdrawal of some persons?
Yes, I do. And first of all I don't like the "wording". We had no strike, so how can we call someone "strike-breaker". I don't understand, it's nonsense. But I don't want to explain these thing in absence of trade union representatives.