Prospect Union fights to save pensions
Unions to fight BAA pension cuts
10/10/2007
Union leaders representing thousands of airport workers at BAA have told the company's chief executive, Stephen Nelson, that they will fight plans to change the final salary pension scheme.
National officers from Unite,
PCS and Prospect met Mr Nelson on Wednesday. They made clear their unified opposition to the proposed changes which will see the final salary pension scheme closed to new entrants from December 1.
Hands off workers’ pensions, Prospect tells Ofgem
26/09/2008
Prospect, the union for 21,000 energy professionals, has warned the electricity regulator not to intervene in staff pensions as part of its current distribution price review. The union was responding to an Ofgem consultation paper, Price Control Pension Principles
News Story
Sale of air traffic control sparks new sell-off row
10/07/2006
Ministers have been warned that any sale of the Airline Group’s stake in National Air Traffic Services would reignite the political row over its part-privatisation in 2001.
Prospect, representing 3,500 air traffic controllers and engineers at NATS, said any part-sale of the airlines’ 42% stake would contradict the guarantee made by the Airline Group when it bought its stake that it would operate on a ‘not for commercial return’ basis.
Prospect General Secretary Paul Noon said: "Speculation that the Airline Group is considering selling its stake, just five years after the privatisation of NATS, underlines the concerns the union raised at the time of sell-off about safety standards and investment.
"If the Airline Group or parts of it wish to sell their stake then the government should buy it back. There must be no ‘For Sale’ sign over NATS.
"The purpose of NATS is to provide a safe service for the travelling public, not to be a cash cow for its owners. That is the basis on which the public-private partnership was established five years ago, backed up by guarantees to parliament."
Given the growth in air traffic and other major European initiatives, the UK air traffic management system needs stability and investment to provide a safe, efficient and integrated service, said Noon.
Prospect is writing to the Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander, raising its concerns. It wants an early meeting to seek assurances that the government will boost its 49% stake in NATS if necessary, and restate its commitment to continued investment in the business.
The Airline Group is a consortium of seven UK airlines: British Airways, bmi British Midland, Virgin Atlantic, Thomsonfly, Monarch, easyJet and My Travel. They own 41% of NATS
BA chief Willie Walsh reckons at least 30 airlines will go bust before XMAS.
Warning: 30 airlines will go bust this year - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent
At least 3 of the above group could "fold their wings" any time given the current recession
And dont rule out BA ......
BA has already unveiled a series of measures designed to counter a crippling rise in its jet fuel bills, which are expected to total £3bn this year, 50 per cent more than in 2007.
Last month, it revealed profits during the first three months of the year were 88 per cent lower than in the same period last year and warned price increases and cuts to capacity were inevitable.
BAA owns 4% of NATS. They are struggling and will struggle even more when they have to sell off EGKK and EGP*, to reduce their monopoly.
BAA, the cash-strapped operator of seven UK airports, plunged to a £51m operating loss in the first quarter of this year, hit by rocketing security costs and £24m of one-off expenses aimed at ensuring a "smooth" opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow.
BAA's profits descend on back of rocketing security costs - Telegraph
The BAA group, is now 61pc owned by Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial who paid
£10 Billion and who are now struggling to finance this loan payment.
I suspect NATS management can feel NATS slipping through their greasy fingers.......
Who the hell are these union guys anyway? If they were representing the miners in the 80's they would have been lynched by now