QF to cut Sydney ground based check in staff after NZ contract finishes

[markis10]

Qantas has called for voluntary redundancies among check-in and other ground staff at Sydney Airport’s international terminal following the loss of a multi-million-dollar contract with Air New Zealand.
The airline’s management will meet the Australian Services Union, which represents customer-service staff at Qantas, on Friday to discuss the number of jobs likely to be lost.
Both sides said there would not be compulsory redundancies.
Qantas’s long-standing contract to provide ground-handling services for Air New Zealand at airports including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will end in March. The multi-million-dollar contract is one of Qantas’s largest, and includes checking in of passengers and baggage handling.




Read more: Qantas to cut jobs after contract loss

 

[yohy?!]

has NZ gone to one of the big ground providers or VA going forward?

 

[markis10]

has NZ gone to one of the big ground providers or VA going forward?

Dnata, which is an EK sub.

 

[yohy?!]

Probably Dnata, which is an EK sub.

yep just saw on PPrune - how interesting...

 

[elbarto]

I guess ground handling isn't in the agreement then.

 

[TheInsider]

All will be Toll Dnata, but we knew/found out about this a few months ago. From what i've been advised, the NZ teams at the airports aren't that happy with the change, but in the end came down to costs and Dnata are cheaper.

 

[moa999]

The pprune comment goes on to say that Qantas will then tender out and put up the internal Qantas team versus Dnata...

From what I have seen with a few interactions with Dnata staff, this is not NZ's smartest move.

 

[cmon0005]

Same thing happened to Air Pacific a year or two ago, Qantas used to handle them, then it went Menzie$..
Flew with FJ in December from MEL, probably the worst ground staff I have experienced, unprofessional, unorganised and just got the feeling of cheap outsourced service.
However the fantastic FJ staff onboard more than made up for the ground staff.

 

[TheInsider]

The pprune comment goes on to say that Qantas will then tender out and put up the internal Qantas team versus Dnata...

From what I have seen with a few interactions with Dnata staff, this is not NZ's smartest move.

Can't happen for ASU employees, contractors are not allowed to do QF work under our current EBA, unless they get the same benefits. If this comes under ground handling, i'm now not too sure!

 

[TheInsider]

The difference between QF and the other companies is that QF offer a fully inclusive package, and price everything together. Yet the other companies are all pay-per-use and are kind of like Jetstar and bundle everything; So if you want this or that, you pay an extra amount for this and that. (This is my understanding)

As fo FJ, i believe there is more to the story than just the costs. It's more got to do with FJ wanting to remove themselves from QF in anyway.

 

[moa999]

Can't happen for ASU employees, contracts are not allowed to do QF work under our current EBA.

I did suspect the pprune poster was stirring.
But not good news for QF, all the other airlines goes to cheaper providers and Qantas's $cost/pax or RPK goes up as they have to carry the entire fixed cost base, making it even harder for QF to offer competitive airfares.

 

[TheInsider]

But not good news for QF,.

I agree, less work in a place where there isn't many hours anyway!
Although Qantas ADL have just got MH back, they were originally Toll.
Other airports MH use Menzies.

 

[samh004]

This would tie in to what I heard a friend talking about the other day!

 

[markis10]

Poor move by NZ I suspect, never had an issue with QF ground based staff on the frontline be it QF or another airline they are checking in for, in fact as a rule I think they are a standout asset. On the other hand I have had many issues with non QF contractors at ports far and wide, they only have their pay packet at heart, not the interests of the company they are contracted to.

 

[anat0l]

I don't really like to say it, but I will be blunt: contractor ground services suck. Hopelessly. Period.

To be almost brutally honest, if FFPs didn't exist (and further if premium classes and extra charges, e.g. exit rows, also didn't exist), contractor ground services actually do a pretty good job.


In one way, since most of NZ's services from SYD are merely Trans-Tasman, it's not an overly complicated matter. The FFP matter might be the most difficult part of the job, as also with Seats to Suit, but if NZ has a system about it then I'm sure even a child could do check-in, too. Besides, even if the FFP part is slightly stuffed up, I don't think it's a major failing.

In my experience, contracted services like Toll Dnata and Menzies take no prisoners when it comes to luggage. MH have been handled by a contracted service in BNE I for ages, and my mum has even been pinged for being 1 kg overweight on checked baggage. Yes, you can't break the rules as a passenger, and they are doing a job, but just saying that for those who may pack quite a bit with them.


To be fair, even check-in by another airline's staff is not necessarily good either, though my negative experiences with airline staff doing check-in for another airline are all overseas, not in Australia.

 

[Hvr]

Looks like they're advertising for MEL as well.
SEEK - Experienced Passenger Service Agents Required - Melbourne International Airport Job in Melbourne

 

[VHOEJ]

At the end of the day, it is probably all down to costs........these contract companies offer a similar service for a lot less money (and you can see it in what they pay thier staff) so of course QF isn't going to be competitive.

Then again, the unions at QF representing these people continue to want huge pay increases, and they price themselves out of the market.......smart thinking unions.

Mind you, wasnt this decision made a couple of months ago? Why is it making news now?

 

[anat0l]

At the end of the day, it is probably all down to costs.......

Of course it's cost. What else could it be?

Maybe patriotism? After all, what New Zealand company wants to entrust their great Kiwi service in the hands of their greatest Trans-Tasman rival?

Mind you, wasnt this decision made a couple of months ago? Why is it making news now?

Probably the news outlet was banking away stories for slow news days.

 

[markis10]

Probably the news outlet was banking away stories for slow news days.

The decision to change providers was made months ago, its the fact that until this week QF had not worked out what to do with the staff or approach the union about planned moves is what is in effect the "news".

 

[TheInsider]

Then again, the unions at QF representing these people continue to want huge pay increases, and they price themselves out of the market.......smart thinking unions.

Mind you, wasnt this decision made a couple of months ago? Why is it making news now?

C'mon, 3% isn't much of a pay 'rise'.

Yes the decision was made months ago, and staff received communication about this moths ago. SYD seems like the only port with the issues of over staffing though. No other airport AFAIK has offered things like unpaid leave, or VR's.