BA Cutbacks & Redundancies At LGW
Back to Forum- This topic has 80 replies, 24 voices, and was last updated 27 Apr 2012
at 17:24 by lloydah.
-
- Author
- Posts
- Skip to last reply Create Topic
-
Binman62ParticipantOnly doing to LGW what hey did to the regions years ago. Staff will be TUPE or offered jobs elsewhere. Vol redundancy packages will be available. In fairness if handled like the regional pull put it will go well and the staff will accept the deals on offer.
11 Apr 2012
at 17:05
greyhawkgeoffParticipantThe press reports are about change/outsourcing for Gatwick ground service staff both on the ramp and in the terminal not cabin crew. After the Hetahrow cabin crew debacle I am sure that those affected will see that they can negotiate a deal or face the reality of ian mposed change on vastly inferior terms. A bit like real life for most of us!
12 Apr 2012
at 07:38
HippocampusParticipantGKing92, LGW cabin crew have been balloted on changes to their Memorandum of Agreement in addition to changes affecting ground staff yesterday.
One can emphasise greatly with the BA staff at LGW. The base has had question marks hanging over it for well over a decade and it has always had to play second fiddle to LHR (and certain LHR staff have always looked down their noses at LGW). Change and uncertainty have been a constant for LGW for years. Competition with EasyJet is intense and EasyJet has built up a substantial presence at the airport including a large number of slots in the all important “first wave” of departures in the early morning. In hindsight BA should have taken up the offer to buy its franchise partner GB Airways rather than let it go to EasyJet but there were other more important issues for BA at the time.
It will be little comfort for those facing redundancy/outsourcing but if these changes mean LGW gets board approval for a new aircraft order then at least it will provide some certainty going forward. One can see at LCY where BA has now become the largest operator there there is the will at BA to grow and compete in short haul when it can do so profitably.
12 Apr 2012
at 08:10
VintageKrugParticipantIndeed, I think this provides sorely needed certainty for those working at a base where uncertainty has been the name of the game for almost a decade.
There are clear signs BA is committed to Gatwick (the new check in and security area is one of those), but its commitment doesn’t come at any cost.
Of critical importance is a government re-assessment of APD on Caribbean flights, which due to their distance/category are taxed disproportionately higher than North American destinations.
Second is keeping costs low, and outsourcing ground staff on the same terms they have now will achieve that. Sadly, it seems likely that some people in the customer service team will not have their roles maintained, which is a great shame as they are in my experience a very helpful lot. BA is the only airline with its own customer service team at the airport, and the model isn’t sustainable.
However, there are other opportunities out there for people with experience and ability.
Third is negotiating a new Memorandum of Agreement; given BA’s track record of negotiating successfully with unions where BASSA is not involved (Pilots, Heathrow Ground Staff and hammering out a deal with Unite directly over cabin crew) it doesn’t seem unreasonable ti suggest this will be resolved amicably.
The Gatwick Memorandum of Agreements was last updated in 2006, and hasn’t been touched since then. There have been quite a few changes since then, including the launching of longer haul sectors not covered by that agreement, and a sea change in BA’s position vs. LCCs at the North Terminal with all the challenges that brings.
It doesn’t seem unreasonable to take another look at the MoA (linked below) to ensure it’s still competitive and that Gatwick has the right cost base to position it for success – and certainty – in the coming years:
12 Apr 2012
at 11:30
FormerlyDoSParticipantI’d love to know how beeing TUPE’d from an international public company employing over 50,000 to a handling agency provides certainty for those affected. For the avoidance of doubt, I am referring to certainty in anything other than the very short term.
12 Apr 2012
at 11:56
VintageKrugParticipantThere was no certainty in the short term for those ground staff; this provides it in the short term, and for the medium term.
No company offers long term certainty these days; this is simply an acknowledgement of that.
BA’s presence at Gatwick is made considerably more secure, as are those ground roles which will be continued, once this process is complete.
Indeed I’d suggest it provides the basis for future growth. BA needs to make savings before it invests in a new Gatwick Fleet. It can’t be long before another big order is announced; Farnborough this summer would be the ideal place to do that.
12 Apr 2012
at 12:16
RichHI1ParticipantGiven that a reduction of the cost base makes LGW more attractive to BA from a margin percentage, turn over and loading have to be a large part of the picture which requires a demand focus strategy. Before we discuss
More runways, the road and rail access needs vast improvement for the LGW catchment area to be more than a local one.12 Apr 2012
at 12:39
FormerlyDoSParticipantIt will be interesting to see if any BA groundstaff post or if anyone does on their behalf.
12 Apr 2012
at 12:54
FormerlyDoSParticipantRich
You are so right about the need for a demand focus strategy.
12 Apr 2012
at 12:57
RichHI1ParticipantBut that is what happens with mergers. It will be interesting to see in which areas the cuts take effect. I would imagine the BMi HQ will just cease to be. BA has been effective at pruning operational costs, they are not so good at making corporate overheads efficencies. I think that is because of priorities not competences and I would expect a thorough review of HO and overheads to be next in the pipeline after the BMI integration and Iberia Express are completed.
12 Apr 2012
at 14:14 -
AuthorPosts
