Like previous posters, I am cautiously optimistic that there will be no compulsory redundancies. I am also cautiously optimistic that in the management's rush to slash costs and overheads, they will drive too many people to leave and will need to bolster numbers at some point next year. It's just my guess.
What I am more concerned about, having just read the aforementioned announcement, and wasted 305Mb of bandwidth on downloading a video full of yukspeak regarding "moving fowards", is the reaction from our cabin crew colleagues. As far as I can tell, the airline plans to make every cabin manager and assistant cabin manager (C1 and C2 to the rest of the world) redundant, and then invite them to re-apply for a position as a C3 or just simply re-deploy them to that role if they agree.
I cannot see the Cabin Crew's unions taking that lying down and nor am I particularly pleased about it as, if my interpretation is correct, I could end up with someone very inexperienced running the cabin. Collectively, the airline and group could end up with some very nasty business news headlines if management butt heads with the unions - neither have shown themselves to be particulary prone to compromise in the past. I would not use the dreaded 's' word at this point, but it's on my mind, as it could affect how we are perceived by the public in the future.
That said, I hope this is just a blip and that there will be opportunities in the fairly near future for recruitment. Just don't expect a command for at least a decade and you won't be disappointed. Several of my friends will probably now retire as first officers, not because of lack of experience or ability, but because there just have not been the vacancies.
Personally, I feel that Thomson are kicking our collective butt in terms of what they offer to the customer and that Thomas Cook (note - not TCX!) is a good decade behind what the consumer wants. As we slash our long-haul and exotic destinations, removing seat-back IFE and replacing it with wonky televisions in the aisles, our competitors are improving their web sites and, interestingly, not buying a squillion new high street shops. We are offering cut-price bucket and spade and, without wishing to appear snobbish, we are attracting the kind of people which result in ASRs being filed on a regular basis.
Still - new management incoming and hopefully something can be done. The airline is a good place to work, the Ts and Cs are good and with a bit of imagination, it could get back to what it was.
If you don't come with memories from either of the former companies - I'm ex MYT - you won't miss the choice of longhaul-only, mixed-haul, or short-haul as you preferred, you won't miss rostering that didn't care about fatigue and you won't miss weeks hooning about Florida with your friends and family. You won't miss not doing deep night flights 3 times a week and you won't miss not having a social or family life! Because, let's face it, every other airline is pretty much the same now. JB007 is spot on.
It's as good a place as any to fly a Boeing or a 'Bus, we're pretty much very nice people to work with and you get paid pretty well too.
(Hint to management: stop trying to sell holidays to people who don't have any spare money!)