BA want staff to work for free
17.06.09
British Airways is asking staff to work for nothing, for up to one month, to help the airline survive the current economic downturn. The appeal, sent by e-mail to more than 30,000 workers in the UK, asks them to volunteer for between one week and one month's unpaid leave, or unpaid work.
BA said other airlines, such as Cathay Pacific, had launched similar schemes and a majority of their workforces had signed up for them. The idea was first launched last month when the airline asked staff to volunteer for a month's unpaid leave, or to work for free for that time. That attracted more than 1,000 applicants.
But the company's more recent version of its scheme, launched last week by e-mail and in an article in the internal staff newspaper BA News, is more flexible. It asks staff to volunteer by the end of this month for between one week and one month of unpaid leave or unpaid work. The lost salary will be spread over between three and six months.
Last month, BA posted a record annual loss of £401m, partly due to higher fuel bills and other costs. BA's chief executive, Willie Walsh, and other directors, said at the time that they have already agreed to work unpaid in July. Mr Walsh will forgo a month's salary of £61,000, although it was reported in the last week that he will receive a 6 percent pay rise this year, something which his staff are unlikely to enjoy.
BA has been in urgent talks during the past few weeks with trade unions at the company over other ways to save money. Details of a large pay and productivity deal are expected to be announced this week.
An airline spokesman said that hundreds of staff have responded positively to the request. But some employees and unions have condemned the plan, saying improvements in the management of the airline were a bigger priority.
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