PROFIT BEFORE SAFETY!!
Manchester Airport have obviously not learnt any lessons from 11 September.
Aviation Security in the U.S. was abysmal as stated in various official U.S.'s General Accounting Office Reports, this was caused by airlines and airports employing the lowest bidder to carry out the security work. These were companies such as ICTS, Huntleigh and Argenbright (owned by Securicor ADI who also operate at Manchester Airport). Argenbright were fined in the U.S. for employing staff with criminal records and only recently told to leave Boston Airport after more security failures. These companies employ people on low wages in the U.K. and U.S. (average $15000 p.a.in the U.S.).
In the U.S they were not trained properly and 90% of the workers had less than 6 months experience and because the wages were so low the average turnover of staff was 126%, at one airport it was 416%.
Since 11 September the U.S. Government have made real progress and have decided to Federalise Aviation Security. They have realised that private security firms cannot be trusted to do the job properly.
The 28,000 employees required, will be well educated, must pass a selection test, must be an American Citizen and will be paid between $30,000 - $35,000 p.a. (£21,400 - £25,000 p.a.) This salary is required to retain staff, because in this business experience is vital.
Manchester Airport on the other hand is going in the opposite direction.
Cutting wages from an average of £22,000 to £12,600 p.a.
Cutting 200 staff by way of voluntary early retirement.
Replacing these people with new recruits (on low wages), who the majority will have no Aviation Security experience at all.
These people will be working on British Airways Terminal 3.
Working a 42 hour week instead of 38.
4 days less leave per year.
Single time for overtime worked.
Workings shifts 4.00am, 5.00am starts, nights and working nearly every weekend of the year, Christmas and New Year.
The Airport have scrapped the Selection Test (Involving Maths, English, Observation, and various spatial tests) and replaced it with several question at the interview stage.
Cutting sick entitlement from 6 months full pay to 3 months full pay.
All this because we have to compete with the lowest bidder just like it was in the U.S. !!
Manchester Airport introduced so called Market Related Pay (MRP) 3 years ago for new recruits in Security, they are currently on £13,999 p.a. and are leaving the company at a very high rate because they can find better paid work with more sociable hours and better career prospects elsewhere.
In June this year it was discovered that Geoff Muirhead (CEO) gave himself a nice £90,000 pay rise and all the other directors and top managers had substantial rises too.
these cuts by Manchester Airport will compromise security at the airport and put the flying public at risk.
Eventually all the experience staff will leave and you will be left with the low earners who only last a few months before leaving and finding better paid jobs elsewhere.
So Mr Teale remember 11 sept 2001 obviously not !!
"Pay Peanuts get monkeys"
Don't worry everyboby Mr Teale says it won't compromise security, get in the real world now Teale !!
Security manager John Donnison has found it difficult to recruit staff to work on BA T3 and in his desperation he has allegedly,
Recruited temporary staff from last summer who
1 failed their assessment
2 one found to be drunk on duty
3 one sacked for not disclosing certain information on his application form
This is the new low wage (£11,500) professional security workforce at Manchester Airport
GOD HELP US !!!
WHO IS THIS EXTRA SECURITY CHARGE FOR ?
WHO GETS IT THE AIRPORT OR AIRLINES ?