Lots of good points on this thread.
Can we blame Ryanair and Easyjet and all the other low cost carriers?
The root of the main issues mentioned on this thread is money, which is driven by the airlines wanting to pay less and less but expect more and more from the ground service providers. Hence the tongue in cheek blaming of the above airlines.
Ground Handling companies dont look after their staff properly. As tounched on by 750XL, many staff work ridiculous shifts to make up their wages.
The ground handling agency dont invest enough in equipment. The stuff my company uses was built by the romans.
Minimum ground times and pressure from airlins to ensure they are met results in corners being cut.
For example a B737 , with an offload of 149 passengers and 130 bags, a crew change, cleaning, catering, toilet/water service and fuelling all required, and then an onload of 149 passengers and say 100 bags. Minimum Ground time of 35 minutes, then MINUS another 3 minutes to makes a stupid pressured target of doors closed time. So 32 minutes to do that job safely. No wonder there is accidents on the ramp.