More Swissport Redundancies??

[dionysius]

Any news if the 3rd handling agent will come into BHX when servisair/aviance join forces?.

I doubt with the current economic climate that any Handling Agent would invest in a new outstation venture without sufficient guaranteed contracts to make it viable.

[call100]

Originally Posted by GRIZZLER

Why would they need one?...it's the same people doing the same work.

The airport would like 3 handling agents...It makes it more competitive in the market place.
Not exactly conducive to quality, that seems to be the first thing to go, but, helps attract those cheap bus operations like FR.

[JamesKirk]

Another H/A for BHX

New Handling Agent At Bhx

Why would they need one?...it's the same people doing the same work.

Not nessesarily true, yes the same people will be in place however S/Air may not allow them to work to the same rules that aviance allowed, things were done for the airlines as a "sweetener" to ensure the airline reps were happy ( & lets face it keep the reps happy & that filters back to Head Office), from what i have heard S/Air management say is that unless the airline pays for it, they dont get it!!! Silly really when we are just talking about things that cost the H/A nothing or peanuts but keeps the contract sweet and everyone employed.

Some have said that a 3rd H/A will not come in unless there is the work to justify it, again true but a number of airlines have expressed displeasure with both S/Air & S/Port that combined would be enough for the initial outlay, i am sure that some of the aviance staff (myself included) who are not happy with the poor level of S/Airs pay/conditions would jump at the chance of another H/A coming in & because of the extent of accomodation that will be lost due to the merger i am positive that BIA would look at forging deals with any new company for reduced rates etc.

Big meeting tommorrow between both sets of managers & unions, hopefully we cam get some further news, after all its been a month now & we are no further down the road of knowing what the hell is going on.
JK

[bejw2008]

According to the Swissport ASMs you dont need a driving permit now to push back planes from stand, dose anybody know if this is true?

[GRIZZLER]

push back planes from stand

Not sure how other companys do it ...but at servisair STN you need up to date driving permit...to be passed out on that type of tug being used...and be able to use the ATC radio or at least have some one with you that can, and is also a tug driver....or you cant go over the double white lines to the taxi way.

[chrystall]

s'air T+C'S compared with aviance

hi - thought the whole point of tupe was you transfer on same rates and conditions?

[call100]

Originally Posted by bejw2008

According to the Swissport ASMs you dont need a driving permit now to push back planes from stand, dose anybody know if this is true?

Mmmm! I wouldn't try it. I'm sure BHX Ops will now double check Tug drivers permits...Just in case.
Anyone driving airside needs a permit. Whether on the airport roads or anywhere else. Nothing to do with the type of vehicle.

[exaviation]

It's a joke right.? no permit to push planes onto the taxiway, what next towing an aircraft without calling Ground ?

[legalize]

From what I hear it was a SP Duty Manager who pushed the diverted Virigin 747. Apparently amongst all the excitement of pushing a 747 he fogot that he did not hold a valid ADP.

I also hear that SP are turning a blind eye to it as it was a manager, even though there own staff are well P***d off with it as if they had done it they would have been down the road.

[JamesKirk]

TUPE

s'air T+C'S compared with aviance

hi - thought the whole point of tupe was you transfer on same rates and conditions

But for how long??, if you read the TUPE regulations it does not give a specified length of time where you stay on your T & C's and you dont have to be a genius to work out that S/Air will not allow their ex staff and the new staff to work side by side when the latter are on a better hourly rate, get more leave days and have a better redundancy package. they will want to inpose their terms onto you as soon as possible.
Yes it has to be done through consultation but how can you consult when you are told that your role is not what the company will require & told that the only alternative is a lower ranked position with the appropriate pay.
Anyone know how todays meeting went?
JK

[groundagent]

Yes it has to be done through consultation but how can you consult when you are told that your role is not what the company will require & told that the only alternative is a lower ranked position with the appropriate pay.

I believe if you take an alternative (lower) position through a redundancy consultation, the T's and C's remain. It would be hard to change the description of a role of CSA, ramp agent, despatcher so the job description is suitably different to justify a redundancy situation.

If they consult and "buy" the differences, it is obviously a different story.

Can anyone confirm my understanding?

GA

[GRIZZLER]

Tupe And Contracts

I think there maybe some swissport workers at STN that were tupeeed from servisair when they lost the ryanair contract years ago....and they are still on the servisair contract....or have been untill fairly recently......but i could be wrong.

[number1delta]

Swissport Pushback

Can anyone from Swissport confirm whetehr the incident was brushed under the carpet ? I have a pretty good idea of who the culprit was. he was there whan I was and he was a 'yes' man then and from what I hear is virtually glued to managements side nowadays.

[dionysius]

Not too sure, however, I believe that the T+C's being transferred across are only valid for a period of 12 months then you come under the controlling companies T+C's. (it may be worth "googling" TUPE as you will find more detail}.

The meeting was postponed as head office HR staff unable to travel due inclement weather

[Hollymead]

I believe that the T+C's being transferred across are only valid for a period of 12 months then you come under the controlling companies T+C's

Thats not true .

[dionysius]

Thanks for your input Hollymead, very informative

transferred employees retain all the rights and obligations existing under their contracts of employment with the previous employer and these are transferred to the new employer, with the exception that the previous employer’s rights and obligations relating to benefits for old age, invalidity or survivors under any employees’ occupational pension schemes are not transferred. If the new employer does not provide comparable overall terms and conditions, including pension arrangements, an employee may have a claim for unfair dismissal

.

I did say above that "I wasn't sure "

[househunter]

TUPE

I was TUPE to Servisair and was only on my original contract 6 months and then paid approx £1000 difference of pay for the year. I went to a solicitor, to advise what was best. Basically I had to change because if a company can show they are not making money, they can technically make you redundant. So either I went onto a Servisair contract or I could have had no job.Better to have a job than not at all

[ReadyToGo]

The laws of TUPE are amazingly vague, and (I believe dealt with on a case-by-case basis).

A few ex-colleagues of mine, went (via TUPE) from Servisair to GATE aviation when the EZY contract changed hands at NCL. The stories I have heard are quite frankly amazing.

Servisair staff, are on a higher rate of pay, with better holiday entitlement and callout fees etc, and sick pay... that their counterparts who were part of the original Gate Aviation payroll.

Just before the TUPE came into effect, Servisair promised its staff a pay rise. But between agreeing the pay rise, and it coming into effect, the TUPE happened. GATE are now obligied to pay the ex-servisair staff the pay rise that they would have got without TUPE. Naturally the original Gate Staff are entitled to nothing, and fall further behind.
On the flip side, any pay increase to Gate employees, has to apply to TUPE staff too. I am also told there is NO TIME LIMIT on their TUPE agreement either. Its all down to what was agreed at the time.


RTG!

[groundagent]

Just before the TUPE came into effect, Servisair promised its staff a pay rise. But between agreeing the pay rise, and it coming into effect, the TUPE happened. GATE are now obligied to pay the ex-servisair staff the pay rise that they would have got without TUPE. Naturally the original Gate Staff are entitled to nothing, and fall further behind.
On the flip side, any pay increase to Gate employees, has to apply to TUPE staff too. I am also told there is NO TIME LIMIT on their TUPE agreement either. Its all down to what was agreed at the time.

RTG - That all seems to sum it up well. The only thing, in the event of a pay review, there is no obligation to match the increase in money or percentage for the old and new contracts.

I have heard of TUPE staff getting a pay rise in line with inflation and the original staff being given an enhanced pay rise to try and reduce the gap.

Assuming union recognition was in place before the TUPE, this transfers too and if there was a multi year pay deal, this should be offered by the new company following TUPE. The same would be true with out union recognition, but the unions tend to fight for these things.

GA

[STN Ramp Rat]

TUPE

TUPE protects your terms and conditions indefinitely. An employment contract is like any other contract in that both parties have to agree to change it.

If you are transferred on a higher salary there is no obligation on the new employer to offer any change such as pay rises to the staff that were transferred from the old company. In essence you stay as you are frozen in time waiting for your salary to erode to the level of the new company.

Any promotion or change of job will undoubtedly be offered on the new contract and not the old contract. Usually over a period of time the number of staff members on the old contract is whittled down to a level where there is a group of a size that the “new” employer will open talks with them or there representatives to change them over to the new contracts. Usually there is a one off incentive offered to make the change but the staff can still refuse to change if they want.