Swissport to axe 90 staff at Stansted
14.11.09
Check-in staff at Stansted Airport face unemployment before Christmas after being told that they will be made redundant this week. Baggage-handling firm Swissport confirmed that 39 employees have been made redundant and a further 51 jobs were at risk.
A spokesman for the ground handling firm said that every step would be taken to avoid further losses, but said that up to 90 permanent positions could be lost. He declined to give a timeframe as negotiations are ongoing.
Of the staff already made redundant, 12 were check-in clerks and the remainder worked as baggage handlers for Swissport, which has contracts with Ryanair and other airlines based at the terminal. Only 15 accepted voluntary redundancy.
A Swissport spokesman denied any connection between its lay-offs and Ryanair’s recent launch of automated check-in facilities, but a spokesman for Stansted’s owner BAA said: ‘The airlines are getting to the stage where there’s no need for check-in agents and they don’t need as many staff – many passengers just print off their own boarding cards.’
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