Re HZ123's post
Cannot agree with you entirely as another long term observer. The BA ground staff at all UK airports have always been a militant bunch usely trying to hold the company to ransome. I would say that they have had a very good run for their money and it was clear toa all that their roles were time expired.
From your profile your in a better position than I to observe the recent state of play (especially that not seen by the Customer).
It is only a matter of time before LGW find themselves outsourced as many of them think that BA owes them a living. Sad times.
i agree ir is a matter of time before LGW is outsourced and I accept that it is probable that many (and I think more prevalent in some sections/departments than others) BA owe them a living.
But from 1987 (Airtours Re-organisation) closely followed by the BCAL Ground Handling integration and subsequently the elements of DanAir.
Gatwick has been through 'interesting times'.
After such a series of 'major events' any organisation requires time to recover (say two/three years), but for 20 Years Gatwick staff have been an almost never ending cycle of FUD (Fear Uncetainty and Doubt) over the future that has impacted all Departments, whether Engineering, or Ground Services, or Passenger Service .
This sort of 'cloud of endless concern' saps morale and motiviation and is passed along to new staff within a short time.
There were several times when 'stong leadership' and a positve direction from management could have reversed this and many individual managers did indeed try, but then changes in the Gatwick Strategy would undo their work.
But it appears there is a clear Corporate Strategy and that is to outsource, so even if Gatwick was entirely staffed by Highly Motivated Company People, then it wouldn't really matter as the Bottom Line (even with the different contracts for different staff doing the same job) means outsourcing looks better on the balance sheet.