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GMB set for BA talks over staff transfers

GMB negotiators are set to meet with BA at Heathrow, to discuss the transfer of BMI regional and main line staff and BMI baby employees to BA.

The union is concerned that BA will make staff redundant, and have said that with no improvement, they would move to an official industrial action ballot following an indicative vote of action from members involved.

A possibility of redundancies follows the takeover of British Midland (bmi) by the International Airlines Group (IAG), the holding company for BA and Iberia.

IAG had suggested that bmi regional, and bmi baby subsidiaries would be closed if a buyer could not be found.

Eddie Parker, GMB Organiser said, “The meeting on Monday in Heathrow in pivotal in the talks about the integration of the BMI business into BA and the current state of these talk has major implications for Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester airports which are facing whole redundancies.

“BA want to make everyone redundant to let a new provider re employ staff on lesser terms. GMB want current staff transferred with all their current terms and conditions intact as the TUPE laws require.

“If BA want redundancies they need to put a top end redundancy package on offer. But in the current climate of unemployment it would be best for people to keep their jobs.

“All this is magnified in Belfast as BMI have only one route remaining and BA is not offering any firm commitment on this beyond 2013.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .