Surfjan

Hello everyone

Hope all is well, (I was recommended this site by a reddit user)

Long story short, I have a job offer from BA (British Airways Cargo Agent in their Warehouse) and was wondering if anyone knew their shift-pattern? and the hrs are? and where their base is?

Just wondering as I haven't heard back from them yet. Currently I'm working 4 on 4 off with DHL at Heathrow.

Many thanks

Surfjan

Can I help you

Why not contact BA?

corporate-wage-slave

Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum Surfjan, it's good to see you here, and congratulations on your new job. Once you've found out more about BA's social media policies for staff, it would be good to hear more from you, it's an area of BA which is currently crucial to the company, but was often seen, in the past, as the Cinderella side of the company..

Which means I'm unable to give a meaningful reply, other that BA normally doesn't have much operations after 21 hrs (about 4 flights until 22:30 hrs). I hope someone else who knows about this can help.

gms

Seems odd to have got as far as a job offer without any discussion of such job requirements. Even if these points are not discussed in interviews they should be shown in your offer/contract of employment (which I assume has been sent with your offer). Is this direct with BA/IAG Cargo, or are you going through an agency? If it's through an agency, it sounds a bit dodgy to me.

13901

Hi Surfjan from what I can remember (from way back in 2015) the shift patterns were similar to yours at DHL, 4 on 4 offs with 12 hours. I can't recollect, though, if there were night shifts. The contract should provide more info. Have you also tried the hiring manager if known?

Surfjan

Hi,

Thanks for replying

I have tired contacting them via phone, but unfortunately it's an automated message redirecting me to their email address.

I have emailed [email protected] but haven't heard from them as of 2 weeks now.

Thanks

Surfjan

Hi,

Thanks for replying,

It was directing with BA (not via agency) as this wasn't discussed in the interview process.

I have not received my 'Contract of employment' as they (BA) are still in the process of completing my application.

I did receive an email saying 'an average of a maximum of 5 days per week covering early, late and night shifts' - but again doesn't specify the working hours per week and per day;

It's directly with IAG cargo but the contract will be for British Airways.

I did email them regarding the shift pattern, working hours, total week hours etc But they haven't gotten back to me as of yet.

Thanks
S

Surfjan

Hi,

Thanks for replying

I would assume it's a 4 on 4 off shift pattern too but since I work at Heathrow (Airside) I spoke to a couple of BA cargo drivers and they said it might be a factor 5 shift?

I searched it up and it's 5 on 3 off - 5 on 4 off - 5 on 3 off shift - 10hours;

What's even more confusing is that BA cargo drivers have 6 on 2 off - 7 on 3 off - 8 hours :

While BA baggage handlers have 7 on 3 off - 7 on 4 off -

There are nights as it's mentioned in the email 'You will work an average of a maximum of 5 days per week covering early, late and night shifts'

I do not know the hiring manager email address - I only have [email protected] and [email protected]

Many thanks
S

Confus

The location is on the southside of Heathrow, roughly halfway between T4 and the ‘horseshoe’ (the main cargo area where aircraft can park and most of the other cargo operators are based). It’s a massive warehouse with ‘IAG Cargo’ on the roof, you can’t miss it. It does have local bus services and I assume the BA staff shuttle serves it too. I believe they do have night shifts, because regardless of flight departure times cargo needs to be prepared and screened, but don’t know details, you’re best asking your recruiters. Bear in mind they’re probably on skeleton staff if many are furloughed.

worldtrav

I guess one thing i don't understand is all those employees who got furloughed. Do they not have recall rights first?

13901

It's...complicated. Most operational departments work in different patterns based on a myriad of rules, TU agreements and whatnot. In LHR Ops I used to do 6 on 3 off with at least one night every two rotations. In Engineering line maintenance you had 4 on 4 off 12 hour shifts, at Base you had people on permanent nights, people on permanent days and different shift patterns. Baggage handlers have one shift pattern, Logistics drivers another, bus drivers a third.

I checked on LinkedIn with a friend who worked at IAG Cargo but she has since moved to another are and she's not sure anymore. The only thing I can suggest is to see what the contract says and...have patience. Referencing and onboarding is the crappiest BA experience. It gets better once you're in!

They're not furloughing operational Cargo employees AFAIK. IAG Cargo is a different company than BA and, although BA employees work for IAG cargo, there's very little cross-over (much like, say, between BA LHR Ops or Engineering). When I was in BA my badge wouldn't even open most doors in the Cargo building, which made it very fun when I was working there on a project.

JAXBA

Recall to the position they were furloughed from, yes. I'd expect that anyone who has been furloughed from a different department, and was interested in moving to Cargo, would be able to apply if they wanted to.

I know I'd be monitoring the internal and external vacancies if I happened to be in that situation, in case anything opened up in another department.

flatlander

It's worth bearing in mind that "furlough" in the UK is not the same as in the USA.

In the UK, the furloughed person remains employed by the employer and is therefore on their headcount (and their financial costs) - the employer is simply receiving money from the government because the employer has no work for the employee right now. If the employer was to employ more people while furloughing some others, the total employee headcount would rise and when the furlough period ended the employer would have to pay salaries for all these people.

In the USA (particularly in the airline industry), a person furloughed is no longer employed. They are no longer on the company headcount, nor is the employer considered to have them included in the staff costs. The employer agrees (usually as part of a union bargaining agreement) to offer re-employment to the furloughed former staff before any other people, hence the use of the word "recall".

The current "furlough" in the UK is a recent idea for the UK - while common in Europe, especially in Germany, it's a new thing for the UK. Furlough in the USA is a long-established practice in many industries with highly cyclic employment, such as aviation and vehicle manufacturing.

Surfjan

Hi

Indeed, you are correct. Since i work at T5 airside, i can see the 'IAG cargo' warehouse.

I think it's landside not airside, which begs the question why one would need an airside blue pass?

It's somewhere between T5 and T4 but unable to find their correct base address, just for timing purposes since I live in Uxbridge.

Thanks
S

Surfjan

Hi,

I'm not sure, BA cargo had a job offer back in January on their website, I would assume they majority had left as I heard they were given new IAG contracts, less money and benefits.

Thanks
S