Confus

I hadn’t heard this, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Sale and leaseback deals on assets are very common among companies trying to save/make/find cash quickly.

Raffles

I thought Waterside went as part of the 3rd runway anyway?

rockflyertalk

Is this a matter upon recent reflections? Or a plan much further down the pipeline? If an immediate plan then will WS staff now work remotely indefinitely?

This type of scenario is something that businesses will be looking at with a fine tooth combe. Once businesses assess the savings they make from not having a HQ with rent/mortgage, utility bills, tax, service staffing etc, we honestly could see a dramatic shift in where or how businesses operate.

Walsh and his constant obsession on costs never ceases to amaze me. I look forward to an IAGBA CEO who balances the cost with the affects on staff and customer versus what we have witnessed for the last 5 years at least.

JAXBA

True, but do BA/IAG sell to HAL now, or later?

They could sell up in advance and lease back until the bulldozers finally arrive, whenever that is…

Ancient Observer

I am not sure what anti-union sentiment is.
I am very pro those parts of Unite and other TUs that I have worked with.
I am very anti some of them - such as the nutter Trots that wanted to close Grangemouth and lose thousands of jobs.
I know little about BALPA.
I am suspicious of BASSA.

Is that an anti-union sentiment?

Enough of that. I do hope that the TUs get BA to see sense and that departures are made to enable dignity for all.

BAeuro

I really really hope that the WW and EF crew stay on with BA. They’re the best and all my top flights have been with legacy crew.

I just wonder will Short Haul EF’s want to take up flights to Sydney and vice versa. It’s a difficult one.

13901

I'm sure it's been in the pipeline for a while. Nothing, nothing of what's being proposed now has been created on the fly.

In other news, I spoke with old colleagues from the last department I worked for in BA before leaving. I'll skip the details, but they were told, yesterday, of the proposed plan "subject to consultation". The reduction in headcount is equal to 78% of the total workforce (which was reduced by 30% in 2017). As this is the doing of the same man who culled Heathrow and Worldwide ops, it's skewed towards the bottom of the food chain: whilst 30% Band 1 and 2 jobs will remain, only 15% of Band 3 will survive. No early retirement, although there's a fair few people with 30/40 years' worth of NAPS who could; no VR; re-apply for your job and if you're not "lucky", you get statutory redundancy. Apparently, and I haven't seen the email so I can't say for certain, there word "sorry" does not feature in it. Or offers of support for that matter.

Agent69

I was under the impression that long haul destinations like Sydney were very popular with cabin crew, so being forcibily packed off to down under for a week is unlikely.

As a matter of interest, do all CC have the same training regardless of whether they are flying long or short haul?

Keiran Newberry

How does that work then? Is there some form of bid system? Do they not rotate through a set roster of destinations?

sxc

Sydney is a mixed fleet destination. So aside from it being lucrative from a $ perspective (hourly rate paid from LHR until return) the young crew would love the opportunity to get to Australia.

Those who chose Eurofleet like being home most evenings. Family and other personal reasons. So the idea of being away for a week to go to Australia isn’t very appealing.

Keiran Newberry

That I get, but once they're all mixed in, surely that doesn't matter as they'll all have to rotate through a roster? Or is it done on a bid for route system?

sxc

Yes there’s bidding. But I suppose some want the surety that they won’t get called up for long haul.

Ancient Observer

Worth a read. This combination of Furlough and "Redundancy" will keep solicitors and barristers busy for a while..............

https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/wp-conte...l-Hutcheon.pdf

Raffles

I think you can safely say that Eurofleet crew like being home most nights, probably due to family or other commitments.

You're ignoring the other side of the coin too. Many WorldWide crew don't live anywhere near Heathrow. Some live abroad. They commute in for their three trips per month and then head home, with a 4-5 day gap each time. There is no way that these crewmembers can do short haul and BA is effectively forcing them to resign (surprisingly, taking a 50% pay cut and moving to London from somewhere far cheaper is not hugely appealing).

A P Yu

no one can have that surety. Every 3 months they have to fly on each family of aircraft they are licensed on. So that’s a least one 777 route every 3 months (I guess they could bid for a MAD) and then probably one of either 747 / 350 / 380 (whichever is their third aircraft type in addition of course to the 320 series which they’d all be licensed on)