Unions have vowed to fight to save as many jobs as possible at Bmi following the decision by British Airways to cut up to 1,200 roles when it takes over its rival.
BA announced its plans to cut the jobs yesterday as it started a consultation process with unions in preparation for the completion of its deal to buy Bmi from Lufthansa which is expected to be finalised next week.
Unite’s national officer Oliver Richardson said: “Bmi's future has been secured but we are very saddened at the scale of the jobs losses being proposed. Unite will be fighting to maintain as many jobs as possible and ensure that where vacancies exist people can be placed into suitable roles within BA.
"The job losses will take place over a number of months and we will be seeking to use this time to mitigate the impact of the cuts. We are also mindful of the fact that additional jobs need to be secured at Bmi regional and Bmibaby which still face an uncertain future."
Pilots union BALPA said it would also be using “all the resources at its disposal to support pilots affected”.
Jim McAuslan, BALPA’s general secretary said: “Our hearts go out to the large number of Bmi HQ-based staff who appear to have borne the brunt of this announcement - each job loss is a personal tragedy.”
McAuslan added that it would be pressing for “maximum redeployment opportunities” within BA for Bmi pilots including those who work for Bmi Regional and Bmibaby.
“No buyer has yet been found for Bmibaby and Bmi Regional, but to any potential investors we are very much ‘open for business’ and are anxious to support developing business plans,” he said.
Source; AIN, Rob Gill
Gravity always wins!