Revealed: Aer Lingus 'quit or be pushed' plan

[Irishboy]

From Irish Independent:
(need to be registered)
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1435854&issue_id=12759

AER Lingus developed a 12-point plan to make life difficult for its employees in order to persuade 1,800 staff to accept voluntary redundancy.

The plan included:

* Suggesting the airline would introduce a tacky uniform for cabin crew.

* Tedious training programmes for some pilots.

* Deliberately changing shift patterns to make life at the company uncomfortable.

According to one informed source there was also a suggestion that cabin crew, including older air hostesses, would have to abandon their current uniform for jumpsuits and t-shirts.

The total plan is documented in a confidential Aer Lingus report called "Business Plan - HR (Human Resources) strategy 2004".

The 12 initiatives designed to make life difficult for staff are referred to in the documents as "environmental push factors".

A spokeswoman for the company acknowledged that the document had been drawn up by Aer Lingus but dismissed it as a "discussion document". She said: "Those tactics have never been embraced by either the past or present management team."

Nowhere in the 40-page report is there any suggestion that it is a draft or discussion paper.

It states that initiatives to make life uncomfortable for staff were essential to the success of the voluntary severance scheme which was, in turn, essential for the success of the business plan.

The report states: "Environment (sic) push factors are key to driving applications (for the voluntary severance scheme)". The document then details the 12 "push factors".

Top of the list is: " 'Tap on the shoulder' of all relevant superintendents." This is understood to be a reference to 200 supervisor-grade employees who were individually approached by senior management and told they had no future with the company.

The second "push" factor listed calls for performance improvement plans. Sources said these were designed to put staff under pressure at work. The third push factor listed is "attendance management".

One of the more controversial initiatives in the plan comes in at number four and is titled "adverse changes in work/shift patterns". Adverse shift changes would make life at Aer Lingus particularly difficult for employees with families.

The fifth of the strategies outlined is "called lack of availability of IWSL". This is a reference to "In Week Special Leave" which gives cabin crew the option of flexible working arrangements.

The ninth "push factor" is called "assignment to resource centre". It is understood this initiative was aimed at surplus pilots who would be assigned to the centre, known by some staff as 'Guantanemo Bay', where they would spend weeks on training modules which, according to one source, were considered by pilots to be boring and tedious.

A number of the 12 points have already been implemented. These include number 10, "no transport", which is a reference to the abolition of the special bus which ferried cabin crew working unsociable shifts to and from airport car parks.

Other initiatives include "closure/reduction of bases", "significantly reduced overtime" and "working contracted hours".

The HR strategy also deals with plans to reduce employment levels by outsourcing services such as catering and cleaning. Under the terms of an EU regulation written in to Irish law, the 1977 Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment (TUPE), the new contractor is obliged re-employ existing staff.

According to the report the way to avoid transfers is to make TUPE offers "unattractive". It states: "An 'unattractive' TUPE offer will give surplus staff the option to transfer to new service provider with no exit package, reduced pension rights and lessened security of employment."

Tom McEnaney

[Shamjet]

Looks like Aer Lingus have been sucked into the world of systematic intimidation of staff. Check out the links below in the "Quit or be pushed " tactics employed by the Human relations nazi's in Aer Lingus.
I remember the cabin panicing about their garish polo shirts with big dots on them thy'd be wearing in the new Willie walsh airline.
ALT are denying all at moment, saying the proposals were never implemented, however i remember also the attempts to redeploy those commuter pilots who ended up sitting on their arse's for nine months.

This can only be good news for the Knight in shinning armour dermot Mannion about to come over the hill to save the besieged Castle Shamrock!

RTE link (http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0720/aerlingus.html)

[d2k73]

No push plan, says Aer Lingus chairman

July 20, 2005 14:50
Aer Lingus has said that its 2,900 staff will receive letters later today in respect of a discussion document on how voluntary redundancies might be achieved at the airline.

The letter seeks to pour cold water on suggestions that senior management was prepared to engage in cynical practices to make working at the airline uncomfortable.

Aer Lingus this morning acknowledged the existence of a memo which outlined a number of factors designed to make life difficult for staff and encourage them to take voluntary redundancy. The airline was reacting to a story in this morning's Irish Independent which concerns a leaked document prepared by the airline.


But Aer Lingus chairman John Sharman said the document reported in the paper was not a plan and would never be a plan under his stewardship.

The confidential Aer Lingus paper comes from a provisional business strategy prepared by the airline for 2004. The strategy contains a list of what are called 'environmental push factors' - measures which could be used to encourage staff to avail of a voluntary redundancy programme.

The push factors listed range from changes to shift patterns which would be unsuitable to employees with families, to tedious training programmes for surplus pilots. The plan also suggested changing the cabin crew uniform in order to encourage cabin crew to leave.

This morning the Aer Lingus Chairman said today's letter would not contain an apology. IMPACT, the largest union at Aer Lingus and representing cabin crew, middle management and pilots, had called for such a measure.

IMPACT has claimed that attempts had been made to implement much of what was recommended under the 12 points listed in the document. It said that some of these measures were resisted to the point of the union going to the Labour Court, particularly in relation to the denial of in-week special leave.

The union said it would be seeking assurances that none of the recommendations would resurface as future proposals and it emphasised the urgent need to develop a new relationship of trust and confidence between management, staff and unions at the airline.

Acknowledging that the document as reported today would be viewed 'considerably adversely' by staff, the Aer Lingus Chairman said he would write to workers today to say that the paper quoted in the Irish Independent article was taken out of context and does not represent anything that happened in the company, nor his view of how it treated staff.

Mr Sharman said the document was one of a large bundle of documents prepared 14 or 15 months ago at the time the airline was considering its business plan. He said it was not a list of tactics, but a discussion of parts of the business plan which could have an implication for the voluntary severance scheme.

He particularly rejected any suggestion that Aer Lingus would try to make life difficult for shift workers with families, saying the reverse was true, and the airline would invest heavily in trying to improve work patterns for cabin crew and pilots.

[BikerMark]

Well, there's no push plan now obviously. It was all a misunderstanding...

;)

Wonder if these push plans are sitting in Willie Walsh's back pocket, ready to be dusted off come September?

:suspect:

[Sunfish]

Fire the author of the paper for gross stupidity. That would be a good start in reducing costs.

Having administered a VR scheme in the engineeering division of an airline, the idea of a good VR scheme is to ENTICE people to leave. You need to have sufficient dollars (pounds?) to make it attractive for the targetted group and you need to make it clear that there is only ever going to be ONE offer. We cut 10 percent painlessly. Everyone was happy.

Furthermore, you need to have mutual agreement that someone can take VR otherwise all you are left with at the end is the deadwood.

The Aerlingus proposal is dumb because the least employable people will hang on the longest.

Oh! And what about the customers?

[sweeper]

why the surprise? none of this new!
just silly to give sight of the document,is all.:rolleyes:

[akerosid]

Well, Mr. Mannion certainly has his work cut out, when he joins next month.

Personally, I think a whole new approach to HR is needed and if (as I suspect) they are the source of this document - who else, after all - heads need to roll. See how they like "a tap on the shoulder". ;)

Joking apart, this is an appalling PR/HR disaster - I'll predict here that it will be remembered in years to come on the same level of Ratner's "crap" comment. The airline is going to have to do some pretty dramatic back-pedalling and bridge building, to create and rebuild new morale.

[great southern land]

Is there any doubt now as to the complete and utter lack of morals in airline management today. There is a common thread throughout much of the industry, and it involves a new breed of management that is convinced that the 'means justifies the end'. This truly is one of the most appalling examples of cretinous and perverse management thinking that has ever reached the light of day. I don't doubt that many other airlines have HR departments that think just like this sad lot do. Whomever is responsible for this should be utterly ashamed of themselves, both as 'professionals' and basically, human beings. The fact that the very employees they were targeting are by and large hard working and loyal only heightens the contrast as to the moral disparity between them and this sickening lot. It truly makes me sick reading this. Shame

[Bearcat]

the employee/employer relations have been abymissal for years. when the 146 was retired the co. purposely left the pilots in the wildereness. they instructed them then to turn in for non pilot duties to which they refused.....they were then hauled in front of an Aer Lingus kangaroo court and told more or less that the process would see them fired....total bullying and harassment to good people that served the company a long time worried sick for their future and families. IALPA told them stick to their guns as the rest of the troops would walk out if they were not kept on, on full pay with a re instatement of flying duties in time. Rumour had it the 146 pilots were going to be temp. cabin crew......today a lot of those ex 146 pilots back on the line wear their treatment by the company like a scar and deservedly so. Aer Lingus continues the mantra they are overstaffed with pilots yet eveyone is working their tails off to max duties. Aer Lingus are liars, they have lied to the public, their employees, the irish government and their gestapo tactics have failed.....this leads to their future dealings with employees. the company requires changes in work practices for long haul operations.....if they treated employees right in previous times they would have a deal by now...

[A330driver]

I think Mr Mannion will, on his arrival surround himself with a competent team. That would include the removal of such luddites as the authors of this memo.

Methinks Lizzy is going to go for the high jump after getting a tap on the shoulder in the near future.

[Bearcat]

A330....WTGR I think Mannion will clear the decks...he has to as there is a lot of ex WW bafoons in HOB....I also think WW has been exposed for what he really was...a niave bully and what is happening in the press reflects his stance on employee relations. As for Dizzie...total light weight who was caterpulted into an area way above its ability.

[Taildragger55]

Fire the author of the paper for gross (Irish?) stupidity

Thanks Sunfish, all we needed was a bit of crude racism.

[Miles Hi]

You beat me to it. Thanks Sunfish, for dragging the thread down through the racism gutter. Now why not do the decent thing and remove the offending bracketed item.

[Sunfish]

Offending Irish reference removed begorrah! An me wit an Irish great grandmutter!

[maxalt]

Don't be too quick to condemn that remark as racist Miles Hi, the fact is that this behaviour is almost endemic in Irish management, and not just in the airline business. There's some form of self loathing at the root of it - post colonial angst no doubt.

Anyhow, back to the subject.

Should one laugh, or cry? What a load of stupid tossers run that company.

I can see the dirty little fingers of WW all over this - lets face it, the media had their noses stuck so far up his arse crack they couldn't tell **** from shinola. Nor did they want to. He was given free hand to act as outrageously as he wished, and like the small man he is - he took full advantage.

Yes, WW set the tone, and the rest followed his lead. Any vestige of integrity among ALT management was binned by that little Hitlers example.

No doubt the 3 (count 'em - THREE) public enquiries that are about to get under way - not to mention the numerous 'constructive dismissal' actions for compensation - will reveal even more damning evidence of Walsh's dirty game.

Bring it on.

Wherefore now your shining reputation Willy?
Prepare to wallow in the gutter - you're more at home there anyhow, I know.

But, let us not be distracted - there are other questions to be answered.

Who wrote the Memo?
Why did the authour write it, rather than simply 'dreaming it'.
Who saw it?
Why did they allow themselves to be thus incriminated?
Who leaked the Memo?
Why now?

I see wheels within wheels.
Scores being settled. Decks being cleared. Dead wood being chopped.
Michael Martin just jumped on the bandwagon - he has it in for some of the heads in ALT - no doubt Bertie has sicked him on the lot of them - perhaps aiming to destabilise the gurriers laying in wait for the new arrival?

LW (Human Resources and probable Memo author) is for the high jump. Her recent conviction for bullying was the beginning of the end. Someone wants her out - obviously she wasn't going quietly. No problem - this'll sort her out.

So who is the master manipulator this time? Surely not the new guy - he isn't even in the hotseat yet.
Speaking of which - I hope he has a well upholstered ass - because the hotseat just got hotter.
Red hot.

The same players that are in action now saw to poor old Michael Foley. Be very careful Mr.Mannion.
Good luck. You'll be needing it.

I see the Irish Independant takes credit for the scoop on this story too. Some of their correspondents were Willys greatest fans - think Moore McDowell for starters.
Yet lately they've 'gone off' Aer Lingus management a bit. Started getting critical, even of the golden boy Willy.
And now they go and do this! Hanging out ALT's and WW's dirty linen in public! How could they!

Could it have anything to do with the recent dumping of their rag from the prime position as the sole journal Aer Lingus flogged on board? Do I smell their sweet revenge for that act of disloyalty - allowing the competitors broadsheet to displace them?
Wheels within wheels.

As to the Memo itself - parts of it are hilarious, harmless fun really. The uniform wheeze for instance, how we laughed!!
On the other hand - the intentionally disruptive rostering was a low blow, along with the persecution and victimisation of the 146 guys.

Heads are going to roll, thats for sure. But things had better change soon at Aer Lingus - Mr.Mannion has a job of work to do to save the place from meltdown.

One wonders how the fallout from this is going to tarnish Willys grand inauguration in BA, especially if it gets as dirty as it promises to become.

Poor old BA - you're about to receive an intravenous injection of a nasty virulent Irish disease.
Managementitis Willius.

[ZQA297/30]

This raises a philosophical question.
Can you blame an asbsent Willie for Dirty Tricks?

[maxalt]

Certainly.
Some Willys dirty tricks don't emerge for 9 months.
He's only been gone four. Watch this space.

[One Step Beyond]

Serves once again to remind us that HR are the lowest form of life. For people supposed to be trained in dealing with humans, they are once again exposed as in fact having a touch inspired by Himmler. Human remains indeed.

And as the connivance of not-so-slick Willy is clear, I say good luck BA, I hope you people don't have to reap what your board has sown.

[7gcbc]

I can categorically tell you that the "Willies" of this world have pretty much worn out their honeymoon with at least two top 5 international investment banks.

The quote from a few old "kingdom" cairdes based overseas was:

"we''re taking the view that we are getting pretty tired of bullys who cut staff and head count to bits, make a small turnaround in the first or second Qtr and what you get left with is poor morale and 2nd rate yes men with no creativity in senior management positions"

Can't name the banks, so don't ask.

perhaps Jackie-healy Rae can help ? :uhoh:

[Faire d'income]

Ooooh this is soooo exciting. 3 public enquiries!!!

Look what the investigation into Ben Dunne's generosity brought us.

This one could be a slow burner but if they dig and dig and dig you never know where it might lead.

IAA for breakfast anyone?

the Willie 2 Eggs in your face omelette

the Henry soup of the day ( Thick country vegetable )

try our White Waffle with Complete Hash brown

Afterwards try the Mysterious Leek Chocolate Chip on the shoulder pancake and eat it.

[PAXboy]

7gcbc that is the best news I have heard in a VERY long while. With dear Gordon Brown pulling the same kind of smoke and mirrors accounting trick this week, we know that this pathetic 'management' style is everywhere. I saw it start in the USA in 1988, so it's about time that the tide turned.

[SIDSTAR]

I'm amazed at the surprise/disgust that people have expressed about this. HR = Human Rats even tho that's probably unfair to the rodent population. Every modern company has these types of individuals in Personnel/HR.

All except FR that is. In Ryanair they just fire the people on the spot and that's that. We dont need you so bye bye! What part of "F**K OFF" do you not understand. Much more efficient, no big HR Department to pay - you're gone, end of story, sue me if you like. (and we'll fight you all the way to European Court if necessary)

Next step for EI - dump your HR department (a whole building called the Personnel building) and go the whole hog to the Ryanair way, you'll save even more money.

Now, if I set myself up as a consultant, I could get paid thousands (of state euros) for such pearls of wisdom.


Even if you win the rat-race, you're still a rat

[MarkD]

SIDSTAR

FR have had plenty of dates with m'learned friends and haven't got to second base very often - look at the recent captain they tried to shaft.

[Sky_Captain]

It's officially front page news in today's Irish Independent:

"UNION chiefs will 'name and shame' the eight Aer Lingus managers behind the controversial memo aimed at forcing employees at the airline into voluntary redundancy.

Four of the managers have left the company but four are still in senior positions.

The naming and shaming will take place when a delegation of Siptu leaders attend a meeting of the Oireachtas Transport Committee tomorrow. There they will urge politicians to pursue senior Aer Lingus management about the document.

Union bosses see it as an opportunity to turn the tables on management after enduring years of sustained pressure to cut costs and reduce job numbers.

Now, at a critical juncture in the company's transition, they intend inflicting as much embarrassment as they can over the "quit or be pushed" debacle.

Last night, one of the key members of the delegation, Aer Lingus branch secretary Christy McQuillan, said they had been reliably informed that eight senior managers had a input into the document, including former chief executive Willie Walsh."


I wonder if W.W. will bring in the same strategy into BA.
Interesting too to see SIPTU's continuing stance on the future of the company, personally i'm hoping for privitisation:

"Asked whether Siptu was willing to identify to the committee the managers they believe to have composed the controversial document, Mr McQuillan replied: "We will be as helpful as they want us to be in the long-term interest of the company remaining a state airline. We will be as open and transparent as possible for the committee."

S.C.

[akerosid]

Well, Siptu didn't waste much time twisting this around to its own anti-privatisation agenda. It seems to devalue the seriousness of this issue when it's simply used as a further argument against something they've consistently opposed.

Maxalt, can you give any more info on LW's conviction for bullying? Was that while she was working at EI? It just seems extremely odd that a HR person, of all people, could survive a conviction for bullying!

Personally, I think the best option for EI is to go down the exact opposite track ... be a model of good HR. They've now slimmed down the airline and the have (one assumes) the number of people they want. Make them valued. Make them know they are. Sure, it's a low cost carrier, but that doesn't stop it being a pleasant place to work. Look at Southwest? I don't particularly want to see John Sharman dressed as Ethel Merman (MO'L, maybe :D ), but there is a value to it. If EI is serious about becoming a serious long haul player, it needs to beef up its game; it's not going to do without investment - in new IFE, a decent, updated service product and good staff morale. Otherwise, they might as well not bother.

How about a unilateral "commitment to the employees" ... special gifts - extra free flights, free tickets to special events ... BUILD morale; make people proud of their company. Complete nonsense in a low-cost world? As a knee-jerk response it may seem so, but part of being a dynamic company is that you recognise the value of a motivated front line, loyal to and valued by the company, aware of new developments and what's needed to keep EI competitive and responsive in the marketplace.

Costly? Possibly, but nothing compared to expanding long haul flights with a demoralised staff and a second rate product. Their choice ...

[maxalt]

Maxalt, can you give any more info on LW's conviction for bullying? Was that while she was working at EI? Certainly, glad to oblige.
Former manager leaves Aer Lingus after €500k settlement

Aer Lingus made a settlement involving a package worth up to €500,000 earlier this year with a top manager in its human resources division who claimed he was undermined in his job.

The airline's former head of employee relations, John O'Connell, who played a pivotal role in talks with the trade unions, also claimed the company had failed to investigate his grievance.

Aer Lingus declined to comment on the allegations, citing a confidentiality agreement. :E

The news of O'Connell's settlement comes just days after Aer Lingus was criticised for drafting a document last year which proposed adopting aggressive measures to force staff to leave the airline.

He is understood to have had fundamental disagreements with aspects of the company's strategy.

The exit deal for O'Connell is thought to have been funded through the airline's redundancy plan.

Disagreements between O'Connell and Aer Lingus management coincided with intensive discussions at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and the Labour Court over the airline's business plan.

The management entered into a series of stand-offs with senior figures in the Labour Court and the LRC, according to sources.

Several figures, including Labour Relations Commission (LRC) chief executive Kieron Mulvey and Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy, engaged in either written or verbal exchanges with the airline.

Aer Lingus's human resources director, Liz White, took issue with Labour Court deputy chairwoman Caroline Jenkinson over a recommendation made by the court, according to informed sources.

Aer Lingus has denied any dispute took place. :yuk:


Sunday Business Post (http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=6650-qqqx=1.asp)
Any bets now on who might have leaked the infamous Memo? :}
It just seems extremely odd that a HR person, of all people, could survive a conviction for bullying! errrr...this is Ireland, and this is an airline. But hey - with any luck her days are numbered.

As to all that molly-coddling, I don't think any Aer Lingus staff member really needs to be love-bombed by a discredited bunch of tossers. If you want to improve staff morale - fire the lot of 'em.
That'll raise a cheer.

And that 500K would have gone a long way to introducing the proper rostering systems which have been reneged on for years.

[Flame]

Sunfish;

Apart from your racist comment above, which I understand you have now changed...

"You need to have sufficient dollars (pounds?)"

In Ireland the currency is Euro... You need to make sure you are 100% correct in all that you write, before you write, and your mentioning the word " begorrah" and "grandmutter" shows more ignorance.

[Carpathia]

errrr...this is Ireland, and this is an airline.

Sadly sums up the situation all to well.

with any luck her days are numbered.

There is a hopeful precedent. The former HR director at Cityjet, who was a notorious bully, recently got his marching orders for, essentially, stepping too far over the line.

[Toulouse]

Offending Irish reference removed begorrah! An me wit an Irish great grandmutter!

Sunfish... I really think you need to improve your English writing skills.

[Sky_Captain]

I don't think any Aer Lingus staff member really needs to be love-bombed by a discredited bunch of tossers. If you want to improve staff morale - fire the lot of 'em.
Only problem you'd have there is they would be replaced by another bunch of twats, personally I think best thing to do is for managment to leave the staff alone to get their work done. Put on a summer party with a free bar, and throw in a christmas bonus if the company is doing well and most will be merry.

The former HR director at Cityjet, who was a notorious bully, recently got his marching orders for, essentially, stepping too far over the line.
Yeah, he got lynched.....BOOM BOOM ;) ;)

S.C :ok:

[redout]

Taken from RTE Tuesday 26th July 05

Aer Lingus to be quizzed over memo

26 July 2005 11:23
Aer Lingus executives will be questioned by an Oireachtas committee today about a controversial memo which discussed ways of encouraging staff to leave the airline.

Airline management and union representatives are due before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport.

The committee is trying to establish the purpose and context of the July 2004 memo.

Advertisement


It was drawn up to ensure the redundancy programme at the airline was a success.


The 12-point discussion document indicated a range of options including the so-called 'tap on the shoulder' approach to some supervisory staff that they had no future with the airline.

Another involved downgrading of cabin crew's traditional liveried uniform in favour of t-shirts and jumpsuits and tedious training programmes for pilots.

[ShortfinalFred]

So, as I long suspected, the Attendance Management Process at BA is an "environmental push process" designed to get rid of us pesky folks still in the NAPS FS scheme. Did WW suggest it to Rodders? What are we in for!