Willie swings his axe

[The SSK]

BA has just announced a 30% cut in its middle management level, and 50% of senior managers - 597 jobs in all.

94 senior managerswill leave by March 31

Ouch

[Bearcat]

I told you he'd do it.....city boys love will this.

[tewkesbury]

Could this mean the demise of the manager's in charge of bread rolls and lettuce? Me thinks not, he could not be that heartless, could he!:

[Team Player]

And you know what?
No-one will even notice they're missing.

The number of (office) ground staff in most airlines is way out of control, and are a drain on profits - their productivity being a negative, their necessity only padding to their superiors' self-importance.

[lasernigel]

Shame he didn't take on the National Health Service,he could be doing wonders.

[CaptainFillosan]

And..............those self same managers who are going are the ones who overloaded the staff in the first place! That is not management. So called managers reap what they sow.

[woodpecker]

Quotes from a recent party with Waterside types present...

"On my flexy working (two days working from home, three at waterside) I make sure I go in on a Friday so I can do my weekend shop at Waitrose (at waterside), arrive about ten, log onto waitrose, shop, and collect order about 4 to miss the traffic going home"

"My husband, on arriving home, asked if I had had a good day. I responded I had been playing with the kids all day. He looked rather puzzled and then stated but isn't today one of you working from home days? (part time worker, 50% at waterside, 50% from home) Oops!! Ah well, they will never notice!!"

"I love hot desking, I can go to work, wireless log on the laptop at waterside, out of site of my immediate manager, put the laptop in a locker and go off to Hounslow shopping!"

The last time there was "a night of the long knives" every manager was given an A4 sheet of paper and told "justify your job". Many couldn't.

I think the above might just (hopefully) fit into the same category.

[BahrainLad]

: "This is not a decision I have taken lightly but I believe we must re-structure the airline to remove duplication, simplify our core business and provide clearer accountability. Managers will have greater accountability for making decisions, delivering results and leading our business.

"We begin by looking at the number of managers we need to lead the business towards a sustainable profitable future."

By George, I think he's got it.......

[Boy]

I trust you will all be as happy and buoyant when he eventually goes after the pilots - which he most assuredly will.

[Bus429]

...and perhaps aircraft maintenance staff?

[Rainboe]

Boy

I trust you will all be as happy and buoyant when he eventually goes after the pilots - which he most assuredly will.

It will be most interesting to see him do so- already BA pilots are as productive as anybody in the industry- most pilots are up against the annual 900 flying hour legal limit. I was constantly concerned about having to drop trips (and lose pay) because I was close to the legal maximum. I can't say that I'm sorry for managers who rush around doing pretend jobs and attend 'meetings' losing their positions. There are flying staff in BA who need to be tackled into proper productivity, and they ain't pilots!

[Hansol]

There's Gatwick and BACX first !

[Skylion]

"BA pilots the most productive....."

Erm... there is the small matter of more unproductive, and expensive, heavy crewing compared to some competitors and that's worth a look at.

[M.Mouse]

I trust you will all be as happy and buoyant when he eventually goes after the pilots - which he most assuredly will.

I should have been going to work today but couldn't because I would have exceeded the 100 hours in 28 days limitation.

How might he come after me?

[lomapaseo]

The last time there was "a night of the long knives" every manager was given an A4 sheet of paper and told "justify your job". Many couldn't.

That reminded me of one of the efficiency/productivity reams that came through my place one time.

They asked you to justify your job and what you actually do and found out that many took the time to write their job descriptions in such a way that it made others to seem redundant. This was very helpful to the efficency experts in determining the amount of wasted jobs or duplication, of course there were some surprising losers here

I found out that there were at least three other guys doing my job

[Scottie]

How might he come after me?

Simple - Sheraton -> Holiday Inn Express

But you've BALPA so that'll stop him

Personally I don't think he'll come after the pilots or the cabin crew. Far too unionised.

He picked a very soft target in order to create an image for himself. Cost Slasher Walsh.

The bus driver et al will probably disappear with the move to T5 will they not?

[Jet II]

I told you he'd do it.....

I'll believe it when I see it. We had this rubbish about job cuts before, lots of publicity about job cutbacks and what happened - most of the 'jobs' that went were 'manpower equivalents'

Not that he wouldn't get my full support if it actually happened - its about time someone in senior mangement carried the can for their mistakes, like spending close to £300 Million on a computer system that doesn't work or a restructuring that has now created two departments - the 'Front End' and the 'Back End' - yep thats right just like a pantomine horse

[MarkD]

well, here on pprune since willie arrived from EI the cry has always been "get the waterworlders first" - seems he is taking that and running with it.

the danger with him is when the shareholders start cheering him on, like when he sold EI's paintings (good) and then outsourced without squaring the unions (bad) and killed the 146 fleet and tried to shaft their pilots (worse).

[ETOPS]

Don't worry guys HZ123 will be along any minute with all the latest rapidly followed by our favorite (sic) American........

[Avman]

FINALLY! A staff cut which starts with the management. Never thought I'd see it. I hope the idea spreads