British Airways Redundancies: Shameful Opportunism During COVID-19 Pandemic

cwils80

Dear MSE,

Apologies if this issue has already been raised but I would like to talk about the current British Airways redundancy plans. I know that MSE has supported issues relating to the fair treatment of employees during the pandemic and I am hoping that you might be able to help raise the profile of BA's immoral actions. 

They are essentially making 12,000 staff redundant which includes firing the entire cabin crew workforce and rehiring a smaller number of them on reduced pay and T&Cs.

It's understood that businesses need to make changes to survive, but this is goes beyond survival. It is a blatant act of opportunism to try and completely slash the T&C's of all cabin crew staff members across all their fleets. There has been no dialogue around alternative options e.g. extending the staff furlough, offering unpaid long term leave, redundancies without contractual changes.

My wife has worked for BA as cabin crew for nearly 15 years and she is absolutely devastated by the way in which she is being treated. Surely they cannot get away with this.

I will keep this post brief, but I hope that other BA staff will join on this thread to add more information, share their views, and tell their stories. We need to make BA realise that they are going too far during a time where everyone should be doing whatever they can to lessen peoples burdens and show support to their workforce.

I really hope you can help in whatever way you can.

Thank you

Thrugelmir

cwils80 said:

They are essentially making 12,000 staff redundant which includes firing the entire cabin crew workforce and rehiring a smaller number of them on reduced pay and T&Cs.

That breaks UK employment law. If British Airways were to undertake such an exercise would be pure stupidity on a number of counts. Which the Unions would most certainly be aware of. 

Unfortunately the travel industry is going to take a huge hit. That's unavoidable. Whether it ever recovers fully is open to debate. 

Nor is the airline industry being singled out. Job losses are going to be felt across the board. Times are challenging. 

madagam

cwils80 said:

Dear MSE,

Apologies if this issue has already been raised but I would like to talk about the current British Airways redundancy plans. I know that MSE has supported issues relating to the fair treatment of employees during the pandemic and I am hoping that you might be able to help raise the profile of BA's immoral actions. 

They are essentially making 12,000 staff redundant which includes firing the entire cabin crew workforce and rehiring a smaller number of them on reduced pay and T&Cs.

It's understood that businesses need to make changes to survive, but this is goes beyond survival. It is a blatant act of opportunism to try and completely slash the T&C's of all cabin crew staff members across all their fleets. There has been no dialogue around alternative options e.g. extending the staff furlough, offering unpaid long term leave, redundancies without contractual changes.

My wife has worked for BA as cabin crew for nearly 15 years and she is absolutely devastated by the way in which she is being treated. Surely they cannot get away with this.

I will keep this post brief, but I hope that other BA staff will join on this thread to add more information, share their views, and tell their stories. We need to make BA realise that they are going too far during a time where everyone should be doing whatever they can to lessen peoples burdens and show support to their workforce.

I really hope you can help in whatever way you can.

Thank you

Your wife would probably receive an improved response raising her concerns direct with her trade union, rather than expecting a consumer finance website to assist her.

Time2Go_25

There are no questions in it.
If the redundancy terms are good though, it might give a lot of people a good pay off and then allow then to look for another job elsewhere. if everyone takes the redundancy they won't have any staff left, that'll be interesting for them.

cwils80

Thrugelmir said:

cwils80 said:

They are essentially making 12,000 staff redundant which includes firing the entire cabin crew workforce and rehiring a smaller number of them on reduced pay and T&Cs.

That breaks UK employment law. If British Airways were to undertake such an exercise would be pure stupidity on a number of counts. Which the Unions would most certainly be aware of. 

Thanks Thrugelmir

Information from Unite has been unclear at times. They have talked a lot about the illegality of BAs actions, but have not stated any action they are taking. Perhaps they need to wait until the redundancies are confirmed on 15th June? We really don't know. 

I know this is not a typical forum post, we're just getting desperate in our attempts to gain support in the fight against BA

Grumpy_chap

For a unionised company, nothing anyone can advise with little information shared on a public forum will match the advice the Union can provide.

gt94sss2

You might want to contact your MP asking for support - in particular, given Boris's comments to the Laison Select Committee in Parliament last week - where some of this was raised  and Boris said firms should not be using furlough as an excuse for restructuring and that the govt was looking at this.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/05/30/treasury-urged-step-furloughed-staff-face-losing-jobs/

ffc58

BA are not the only ones making people redundant.And i am sure BA'S redundancy package will 
be much better than most. Many people are losing their jobs and buisness they have worked so hard to build.
I work in the exhibition industry who knows if that will ever be the same All work cancelled .
So not sure BA is going to get much support  .I know pilots and cabin crew on very good contracts and for the company
to survive changes are needed. Desperate times for us all. ,
Just scroll down this board to see how people are suffering with no union to support them.
. 
 

Thrugelmir

gt94sss2 said:

You might want to contact your MP asking for support - in particular, given Boris's comments to the Laison Select Committee in Parliament last week - where some of this was raised  and Boris said firms should not be using furlough as an excuse for restructuring and that the govt was looking at this.

Furlough has merely delayed the onset of redundancies. Quantas in Australia laid off 20,000 employees in March on 6 months unpaid leave. Restructuring is a full on fact of life.  Ask Rolls Royce, Lookers, McClaren , Aston Martin, National Trust.  The list goes on. This is a full on recession not a party game. 

Galloglass

gt94sss2 said:

You might want to contact your MP asking for support - in particular, given Boris's comments to the Laison Select Committee in Parliament last week - where some of this was raised  and Boris said firms should not be using furlough as an excuse for restructuring and that the govt was looking at this.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/05/30/treasury-urged-step-furloughed-staff-face-losing-jobs/

Contact your MP and ask them to forward the information to Huw Merriman MP who is chair of the HoC Transport Committee and is also on the case. You can't write to other MPs direct, you have to write to your own.

https://www.huwmerriman.org.uk/news/huw-fights-gatwick-and-british-airways-staff

gt94sss2

Thrugelmir said:

Furlough has merely delayed the onset of redundancies. Quantas in Australia laid off 20,000 employees in March on 6 months unpaid leave. Restructuring is a full on fact of life.  Ask Rolls Royce, Lookers, McClaren , Aston Martin, National Trust.  The list goes on. This is a full on recession not a party game. 

Yes, the main issue iswis large firms should be doing this while the staff are on furlough which means the notice periods etc are paid for by the taxpayer - that is what the government consider not to be in the spirit of the scheme... And BA are not the only ones in HMGs sights (though have got the most publicity)