British Airways plans to cut almost 600 jobs at Gatwick Airport
Almost 600 BA employees at Gatwick could lose their jobs or be transferred to another company as part of BA plans to cut costs. It plans to cut 170 customer service and management support jobs and outsource 400 ramp worker roles. The jobs it plans to outsource include baggage, de-icing and coaching operations, and the arrivals baggage service. BA has begun consultation with unions over the plans. The GMB said the announcement was a “disaster for staff morale”. Unite said the plans were “extremely worrying” and called for the airline to guarantee no compulsory redundancies. BA is the only airline operating out of Gatwick with its own ground staff workforce. BA overall employed 7.7% fewer staff in 2010 than in 2009.
Almost 600 British Airways (BA) employees at Gatwick Airport could lose their jobs or be transferred to another company as part of plans by the airline to cut costs.
BA is proposing to shed 170 customer service and management support jobs and outsource 400 ramp worker roles.
The airline said it had begun consultation with unions over the plans.
The GMB union said the announcement was a “disaster for staff morale”.
Gavin Davies, of the GMB union, said: “We will want to see proper consultations with our members on the way forward.
“GMB members want BA to take this announcement off the table to allow this to happen.”
The Unite union said the plans were “extremely worrying” and called for the airline to guarantee no compulsory redundancies.
In a statement BA said its proposals were part of a wide-ranging plan to build a stronger and more cost-competitive business and safeguard jobs for the future.
The jobs it plans to outsource include baggage, de-icing and coaching operations, and the arrivals baggage service.
The airline said it hoped to offer anyone who works on the ramp a role with a new external supplier.
BA’s statement continued: “We have to meet the challenge of transforming our cost base to compete more effectively in the short-haul market, while continuing to deliver outstanding service and value for our customers.”
BA is the only airline operating out of Gatwick with its own ground staff workforce.
Related BBC Stories
- BA announces job cuts at Gatwick 07 DECEMBER 2008 when BA cut over 100 jobs
- BA plans to cut 120 Gatwick staff 20 MAY 2006, when BA cut 100 are engineers’ jobs and the rest were administrative and support roles.
Hundreds of British Airways workers to be sacked at Gatwick as airline announces cost-cutting plans
By HELEN COLLIS (Daily Mail)
11 April 2012
(some extracts)
Hundreds of British Airways workers at Gatwick Airport are set to lose their jobs or be transferred to another company under cost-saving plans unveiled by the airline today.
……
A BA statement said:
‘We will do all we can to minimise the impact on people in the customer service teams, but it is likely there may be some staff reductions in this area and among the management team and support structure.
‘As a traditional full-service carrier with a long history, we have to meet the challenge of transforming our cost base to compete more effectively in the short-haul market, while continuing to deliver outstanding service and value for our customers.’
The news comes just a few weeks after the chief executive of IAG, the parent company of BA, highlighted the problems facing the industry as he presented the group’s annual results.
……
Willie Walsh said at the time that rising oil prices, the UK’s air passenger duty and industrial action at Iberia – which merged with BA to form IAG last year – are among the worries facing the industry.
…..
Last December IAG signalled jobs losses would follow its binding agreement to buy troubled airline BMI for £172.5million.
Mr Walsh warned BMI the job losses were on the horizon in early 2012, but could not at the time confirm the number of potential job cuts and added that it would secure a ‘significant number of high quality jobs’.
Gatwick Airport’s website states:
Employment and investment
- Gatwick directly employs 23,000 staff of which 2,200 are London Gatwick Airport employees
- It is estimated that an additional 5,000 people are employed off-site in roles directly related to the airport’s operation
- Indirectly Gatwick creates around a further 17,000 jobs
http://www.gatwickairport.com/business/about/facts-figures/#fact4
British Airways 2009/2010 Annual Report and Accounts
http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0910/financial/notes/note7.html
and
http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0910/financial/opfin_stats.html
Financial figures for 2011 are for IAG, rather than BA itself. They are at
http://www.iagshares.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=240949&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1667086&highlight=