contract question

[Waving_tug_boy]

Can a company reduce your hours on your contract by saying you either go to part time or take redundancy but still take on new staff at a reduced wage?

[VictorCharlieTen]

. . . . - You don't want to hear this A however a / "The" company can pretty much do whatever they want. - What's happening is your company has broken your contract (under these dire economic conditions, - that's the reason) and they could actually make you redundant, - then offer you employment straight back at the lower wages these new recruits are coming in for.
In a year or a few years all ground handling positions will be nearing the minimum wage and the harsh economic reality IS . . . . There is always someone else, (wait until next year too !) who will be willing to do your job for less.

These people are happy to live 2 to a room, eat out of date whoopsy food and basically do anything to save 1p.

The company you work for has decided that they need more heads in the place (well done folks) and they've now recruited staff on a temporary part-time basis on lower wages than you will be working for. - This is actually a nod to their current staff as they could in theory have made full scale redundancies then offered the same redundant staff their positions back on a lower wage.
- After a small period of time they would have recouped any "statutory minimum" redundancy payment which for your lot will be 1 week for every year. . . . - AND that's if you even qualify. - You get nothing before either the first or second year and even if you've been there more than a few years remember what I said about just cutting the cloth how they might have.

- ALL of this will become totally academic when the Smart Handling lot arrive and it WILL be join them or take your few weeks worth.

THIS IS GROUND HANDLING IN 2013, - it's like the rest of the industry (something which at one point was somewhere you wanted to be). . . . - Now I hear even the longer term Pilots saying they actually hate their job. Some of them even say if they could do something else which paid enough they'd be out of Aviation like a shot.

It's still a good place to work, but it's becoming something of the bottom of the barrel job wise. . . . - so is many many many many other un-skilled (by that I mean a lack of a Professional Qualification) jobs out there.

Yes your job (& mine) require job specific skills but you could teach my job and yours to any school leaver and within 2-3 months they'd be where the guy who's been there 30 year is. - Do you know what I mean ?.

Anyway, legal wise please run anything yourself or friends at work are concerned about, - (forget the unions), I pay for proper legal advice through an employment lawyer and they've been 100% on anything I've needed them for in the past. My good friend will be happy to help anybody out as he knows how difficult and hard it is when things come along like this.

Keep your chin up, there are other things to consume you coming right along :ok:

[Waving_tug_boy]

Encouraging. At one point I thought this was my career till retirement. But as things stand there's no future in this business. Eventually though as handling company's pay less and less airlines wont be getting a safe and efficient service.

[The96er]

Encouraging. At one point I thought this was my career till retirement. But as things stand there's no future in this business. Eventually though as handling company's pay less and less airlines wont be getting a safe and efficient service.

'Eventually' !!! - I think that state of affairs was passed long ago.

[Waving_tug_boy]

Well it's not like they're doing anything about it. You only get what you pay for.

[VictorCharlieTen]

. . . . But all jobs have been dumbed down to the point of, - well wherever, - however believe it or not some "new" workers will do anything despite being paid 3p an hour simply because they "think" they're different/better than the others.
The Airlines DO NOT CARE 1 bit if there are neandertols (I include myself in here) working on the ground wherever they land. - They don't even think about that because they are assured that the Handling Agents have measures in place that keep the monkeys doing what they should.
If the Airlines were faced with a Handling Agent who had intelligent, motivated, and a completely organised workforce they WOULD have something to think about. A Handling Agent like this though would never be able to win any business as the workers would've ensured their terms and conditions were at the fore rather than just being able to do something for next to nothing.
If the Handling Agents had (off the record) years ago realized they were just about to, then actually did cut each others throats fighting for any business going about things would be different.
Ie, - Sorry Easy Jet, it's £500 per spin or do it yourself. This way you do what's called "putting a floor in" to your industry however in Aviation there's always someone who wants to do it for £ X, - just a bit cheaper than the other guy.

This is DEFINITELY NOT a career at all. It's a job at your local Airport wherever that may be.

If you want anything other than minimum wage or within a pound or 2 ? of that you need to get either a new trade or attain a professional qualification that can be used to secure gainful employment. This is not easy though and I'd say that requires at least 3-4 years of study and hardship whilst you learn it through. The upside is you don't end up on the ground, working at an Airport wondering whats gone wrong with flying.

- Our lot couldn't even organise a decent pay negotiation last time. The UNION are useless at doing a job in 2013 and we've come a long way since the 70's when they actually meant something and had the balls to stand up to big business. - The strongest people would rather see a company dissolve than work for them on slave wages and they're not afraid to show that.
2013 though, an open door immigration policy - there is too many folks looking for work/prepared to sweat their blood for the basic wage in this country so I'm afraid this is just an industry that has actually gone completely CHEAP. - Nobody cares that flying was ONCE special, - there's no romance queuing for up to an hour whilst your Ryanair flight makes its way into the U.k to then be shouted at to board the thing and then get on-board to find most of their crew have nothing other than a basic grasp of English whilst you go about thinking "this might be cheap but it's pretty ****".
Nope, Ryanair, Easy Jet etc, they all want you to go from A to B the cheapest way possible, - for that to happen they have to be run to the bone. . . . or better still run into the bones.
I've "NEVER" flown any of them and if everyone actually stood by the courage of their convictions and did the same some standards might have remained within Aviation. I don't care I'm paying more to fly, money isn't as important to me as what I'm getting or what I got from it.
Just now though, I want to be a person who says I'd rather not be able to afford to go or I'd rather spend my last to know the company it's going too at least treat their staff a little better than how for example Ryanair do.
The stories from the staff who have worked there are harrowing.

As I say, we've not yet reached the bottom but I'm willing to bet anyone that floor comes within the next 12-18 months. :rolleyes: