secureair747
20th Jan 2004, 19:45
Trade union says pay cuts forced experienced staff to quit.
Airport advertises for 100 security guards.
Airport bosses are advertising for 100 new security guards to replace staff – told to except wage cuts and longer hours – who have left in droves.
Now trade union leaders say the changes have resulted in a young and inexperienced workforce at a time when airport security is meant to be top priority.
They believe the airport has been forced to hire new staff to replace those that have left and increase the number of guards available to work night shifts.
Talks between airport bosses and representatives from the TGWU are taking place over the introduction of new rosters designed to replace arrangements, such as 12 hour shift patterns which came into effect nearly two years ago.
Staff rejected the company’s initial proposals and the two parties are in discussion again, but the TGWU say the airport needs to employ more people to staff the night shift properly.
Ringway bosses originally announced they were cutting back on security just months after the US terror attacks of 2001, reducing staffing levels by 140, cutting salaries by more than half, and increasing the working week from 38 to 42 hours.
Union officials claim that of the 560 guards who initially accepted the new conditions only 130 remain.
They add that turnover among the new members of staff is very high and although the airport spends £3,000 training each security guard, only three out of ever seven recruits stay in the job.
TGWU rep Brian Bowan said: “The fact that a lot of old staff have left has caused major problems because many were people who had years of service – many between eight and 20 years. When there where good pay and conditions and there wasn’t a great turnover.
Now it’s a very young and inexperienced workforce in many respects. The training they receive is strictly regulated, but there’s nothing like good experience, especially in the current climate. The new rosters that were put in place caused a lot of stress and a lot of people left because of the new hours. Our members complained that the new rosters have been absolutely horrendous. This has been recognised by the company and both have sat down to work out something new.
The main thing is they need to increase the compliment of security guards working at night.
That’s the main reason why they’re looking for such large numbers of recruits.”
One former security guard, who did not want to be named, said: “I’m surprised they’re recruiting that amount of people but they have been very short for a long time now.
They recruited a lot of extra staff to replace the guards who left and they got what they paid for.
They used to command a greater calibre of staff, you had ex – forces and policemen working there because the wages and hours were quite good, but that’s changed completely.”
A Manchester airport aviation services spokesman said: “the recruitment drive is aimed at enhanced security measures, improving the shift rosters to ensure a better work/life balance for our staff and meeting the demands of increased numbers of passengers and increased demands from our airline customers.”
Copywrite Metro News/Manchester Evening News 16 Jan 2004
Airport advertises for 100 security guards.
Airport bosses are advertising for 100 new security guards to replace staff – told to except wage cuts and longer hours – who have left in droves.
Now trade union leaders say the changes have resulted in a young and inexperienced workforce at a time when airport security is meant to be top priority.
They believe the airport has been forced to hire new staff to replace those that have left and increase the number of guards available to work night shifts.
Talks between airport bosses and representatives from the TGWU are taking place over the introduction of new rosters designed to replace arrangements, such as 12 hour shift patterns which came into effect nearly two years ago.
Staff rejected the company’s initial proposals and the two parties are in discussion again, but the TGWU say the airport needs to employ more people to staff the night shift properly.
Ringway bosses originally announced they were cutting back on security just months after the US terror attacks of 2001, reducing staffing levels by 140, cutting salaries by more than half, and increasing the working week from 38 to 42 hours.
Union officials claim that of the 560 guards who initially accepted the new conditions only 130 remain.
They add that turnover among the new members of staff is very high and although the airport spends £3,000 training each security guard, only three out of ever seven recruits stay in the job.
TGWU rep Brian Bowan said: “The fact that a lot of old staff have left has caused major problems because many were people who had years of service – many between eight and 20 years. When there where good pay and conditions and there wasn’t a great turnover.
Now it’s a very young and inexperienced workforce in many respects. The training they receive is strictly regulated, but there’s nothing like good experience, especially in the current climate. The new rosters that were put in place caused a lot of stress and a lot of people left because of the new hours. Our members complained that the new rosters have been absolutely horrendous. This has been recognised by the company and both have sat down to work out something new.
The main thing is they need to increase the compliment of security guards working at night.
That’s the main reason why they’re looking for such large numbers of recruits.”
One former security guard, who did not want to be named, said: “I’m surprised they’re recruiting that amount of people but they have been very short for a long time now.
They recruited a lot of extra staff to replace the guards who left and they got what they paid for.
They used to command a greater calibre of staff, you had ex – forces and policemen working there because the wages and hours were quite good, but that’s changed completely.”
A Manchester airport aviation services spokesman said: “the recruitment drive is aimed at enhanced security measures, improving the shift rosters to ensure a better work/life balance for our staff and meeting the demands of increased numbers of passengers and increased demands from our airline customers.”
Copywrite Metro News/Manchester Evening News 16 Jan 2004