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Zoedyn wrote:Interesting to note how this is going to impact the carrier's HKG-LHR route
scotron11 wrote:Update – 26th September 2018:
In a leaked memo from BA’s Area Manager for its ‘Worldwide Fleet’, the airline confirms it is to close the Hong Kong base due to non-specified “commercial reasons” which made it “unviable for us to continue to operate the base”.
The airline said in the memo that the terminations would be made with immediate effect. It’s understood that Hong Kong-based cabin crew who were on rotation in London will deadhead back to Hong Kong.
“Please can you kindly return to British Airways immediately all items belonging to British Airways and your British Airways ID card” the memo bluntly continued. Those affected will receive just 7-days worth of pay in severance.
https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2018 ... t-cutting/
Big thank you ha!!
tonystan wrote:I am absolutely devastated by this news. Such a wonderful team dedicated to the company and to be so callously thrown aside overnight. Literally crew in the air as the announcement made unaware it was their last day in a job with families and mortgages to support!
And no they were not “low paid Asian workforce” staff as one ignorant poster posted!
A truly sad day and shameful of a once great company. All so they can cheapen the cost base to their own greed.
scotron11 wrote:In a leaked memo from BA’s Area Manager for its ‘Worldwide Fleet’, the airline confirms it is to close the Hong Kong base due to non-specified “commercial reasons” which made it “unviable for us to continue to operate the base”.
The airline said in the memo that the terminations would be made with immediate effect. It’s understood that Hong Kong-based cabin crew who were on rotation in London will deadhead back to Hong Kong.
“Please can you kindly return to British Airways immediately all items belonging to British Airways and your British Airways ID card” the memo bluntly continued. Those affected will receive just 7-days worth of pay in severance.
Flaps wrote:tonystan wrote:I am absolutely devastated by this news. Such a wonderful team dedicated to the company and to be so callously thrown aside overnight. Literally crew in the air as the announcement made unaware it was their last day in a job with families and mortgages to support!
And no they were not “low paid Asian workforce” staff as one ignorant poster posted!
A truly sad day and shameful of a once great company. All so they can cheapen the cost base to their own greed.
I would assume that it is all in compliance with relevant Hong Kong law? If so don't blame the airline if local employment law allows it.
ClassicLover wrote:scotron11 wrote:In a leaked memo from BA’s Area Manager for its ‘Worldwide Fleet’, the airline confirms it is to close the Hong Kong base due to non-specified “commercial reasons” which made it “unviable for us to continue to operate the base”.
The airline said in the memo that the terminations would be made with immediate effect. It’s understood that Hong Kong-based cabin crew who were on rotation in London will deadhead back to Hong Kong.
“Please can you kindly return to British Airways immediately all items belonging to British Airways and your British Airways ID card” the memo bluntly continued. Those affected will receive just 7-days worth of pay in severance.
I'm pretty shocked they are only providing 7 days severance pay. That is pretty mean... in two of the three redundancies I've had in Ireland, I've received 8 weeks pay per year of service, and the other provided a month's pay tax free as my severance. 7 days is awful.
Also, they certainly did it "with immediate effect" considering some crew were in London and now will deadhead back. Wow.
I can see why it will save them money though - if they are Worldwide crew, they will be on contracts earning far more than the current average wage for cabin crew. Right business decision, but if the above is true, pretty poor implementation.
scotron11 wrote:Update – 26th September 2018:
In a leaked memo from BA’s Area Manager for its ‘Worldwide Fleet’, the airline confirms it is to close the Hong Kong base due to non-specified “commercial reasons” which made it “unviable for us to continue to operate the base”.
The airline said in the memo that the terminations would be made with immediate effect. It’s understood that Hong Kong-based cabin crew who were on rotation in London will deadhead back to Hong Kong.
“Please can you kindly return to British Airways immediately all items belonging to British Airways and your British Airways ID card” the memo bluntly continued. Those affected will receive just 7-days worth of pay in severance.
https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2018 ... t-cutting/
Big thank you ha!!
Zoedyn wrote:https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/2165833/british-airways-axes-entire-hong-kong-crew-ahead-closure
Similar to a move it made in Singapore, British Airways axed its entire Hong Kong crew on Wednesday ahead of the closure of its local base next month, replaced by London-based crew. 85 flight attendants were immediately dismissed to prevent strikes
Interesting to note how this is going to impact the carrier's HKG-LHR route
ltbewr wrote:Perhaps its pressure from the PRC government or the ability to fire the domiciled crew there due to weak local labor/labour laws in PRC/HK that mean little or no compensation. Ditching LHR based crew may be near impossible or very expensive.
ClassicLover wrote:Zoedyn wrote:Interesting to note how this is going to impact the carrier's HKG-LHR route
It won't affect much, even the article says it may only mean less native language speaking crew on board.
Sorry to hear it though, it's never nice when people lose their jobs. Hopefully those crew will be snapped up by other airlines since they have the experience.
mercure1 wrote:Its not like putting crews in hotels in London and perdiems are cheap either.
Could be indeed the economics no longer favored a HKG crew domicile.
strfyr51 wrote:Multiple Dialects of Chinese and Mandarin. (I have NO idea what the difference is)
Zoedyn wrote:
Similar to a move it made in Singapore, British Airways axed its entire Hong Kong crew on Wednesday ahead of the closure of its local base next month, replaced by London-based crew. 85 flight attendants were immediately dismissed to prevent strikes
neutrino wrote:strfyr51 wrote:Multiple Dialects of Chinese and Mandarin. (I have NO idea what the difference is)
Very many of the dialects are mutually incomprehensible to each other in their phonology, vocabulary and syntax..
Some do share a little semblance to various degrees but they are in the minority.
About the only thread that hold the (major) diverse dialects and Mandarin aka Putonghua aka Beijing dialect together is the written form.
DGVT wrote:While I agree that this was rather harshly executed, sometimes it may be better to do these kind of things rather swiftly. Imagine all the ongoing (union) talk, negative press and bad morale if BA had announced this a few months beforehand.
DGVT wrote:While I agree that this was rather harshly executed, sometimes it may be better to do these kind of things rather swiftly. Imagine all the ongoing (union) talk, negative press and bad morale if BA had announced this a few months beforehand.
DGVT wrote:While I agree that this was rather harshly executed, sometimes it may be better to do these kind of things rather swiftly. Imagine all the ongoing (union) talk, negative press and bad morale if BA had announced this a few months beforehand.
kiowa wrote:ClassicLover wrote:Zoedyn wrote:Interesting to note how this is going to impact the carrier's HKG-LHR route
It won't affect much, even the article says it may only mean less native language speaking crew on board.
Sorry to hear it though, it's never nice when people lose their jobs. Hopefully those crew will be snapped up by other airlines since they have the experience.
unless you are the one losing your employment. kind of like cancer - not a big deal unless you are the one who has it.
TheLion wrote:This inherently facetious statement is proof that BA and by extension IAG are clearly among the biggest liars in the business. HKG is known as a high yield and highly profitable route so it’s inconceivable that the crew base is unviable. Cutting it will likely mean less diversity, choice and East Asian language speakers, thus impacting passenger experience.
Flaps wrote:tonystan wrote:I am absolutely devastated by this news. Such a wonderful team dedicated to the company and to be so callously thrown aside overnight. Literally crew in the air as the announcement made unaware it was their last day in a job with families and mortgages to support!
And no they were not “low paid Asian workforce” staff as one ignorant poster posted!
A truly sad day and shameful of a once great company. All so they can cheapen the cost base to their own greed.
I would assume that it is all in compliance with relevant Hong Kong law? If so don't blame the airline if local employment law allows it.
LAXintl wrote:Running a crew base can be expensive. It means management and other support admin staff. Office space, equipment, taxes etc.
It is probaby cheaper for BA to simply use UK crews to cover versus maintaining such a small local base and its overhead.
Overseas branches
The Group flies to a number of destinations around the world. In addition to the overseas branches established in many of these
countries, there are also branches in countries to which BA does not fly. A full list of destinations can be found on the website
http://www.ba.com.
MYT332 wrote:
adamblang wrote:Flaps wrote:tonystan wrote:I am absolutely devastated by this news. Such a wonderful team dedicated to the company and to be so callously thrown aside overnight. Literally crew in the air as the announcement made unaware it was their last day in a job with families and mortgages to support!
And no they were not “low paid Asian workforce” staff as one ignorant poster posted!
A truly sad day and shameful of a once great company. All so they can cheapen the cost base to their own greed.
I would assume that it is all in compliance with relevant Hong Kong law? If so don't blame the airline if local employment law allows it.
No, it's fair to expect an employer to be decent to their people, even if the law doesn't require it. "This is the minimum" doesn't mean "do this."
kimimm19 wrote:Nothing BA could do anymore can surprise. They are simply a glorified low cost carrier.
TheLion wrote:Cutting it will likely mean less diversity, choice and East Asian language speakers, thus impacting passenger experience.