Memorandum from the Public and Commercial
Services Union (PCS) (TS 54)
INTRODUCTION AND
SUMMARY
1. The Public and Commercial Services union
(PCS) is the largest civil service trade union with a membership
of over 325,000 working in the civil service and related areas.
PCS is the largest union in the Department for Transport and also
represents members working for British Airports Authority. As
such, PCS members are responsible for the implementation of government
policy in the area of transport security and are in a unique position
to comment on this inquiry.
2. PCS welcomes the select committee's inquiry,
and is happy to supplement this written submission with oral evidence
or further written evidence.
3. BAA employees currently facing a reduction
in staffing numbers of around 700 which will take place over the
coming two years. This follows a "restructuring" exercise
and the take over by Ferrovial, a Spanish company. As yet very
few of the proposed job reductions have been instigated.
4. Staff have serious concerns about their
ability to adhere to health and safety regulations following the
restructuring and believe that their ability to react in the event
of an emergency will be significantly reduced. The events of the
10 August and the increased security measures introduced following
this have demonstrated that staff are already very tightly stretched,
and that is at a time when hardly any of the 700 jobs have gone.
5. Staff believe that the proposed staffing
cuts will severely hamper their ability to react in the event
of an emergency. For example, in the event of a major accident
at or near Gatwick Airport BAA staff currently have the capacity
to manage the families and friends of around four hundred and
fifty passengers (the capacity of a Boeing 747) as part of the
emergency procedures. This would not be possible if the job cuts
went ahead.
6. Over the past months a high level of
threat and response within the security and aviation industries
has lead to inconvenience and fear for the travelling public.
Airlines and the media have levelled a lot of criticism against
the airport companies, police and the Department for Transport.
PCS believe that all organisations within the industry have their
share of responsibility and must play their part. The organisations
must work in partnership to ensure that all protection measures
are in place to combat acts of terrorism, not only in the aviation
industry but also all areas of transportation and area of public
use.
7. Airlines have always had restrictions
on cabin baggage allowance, but for commercial reasons have waved
these restrictions. Carriers often offer extra allowance to the
cabin baggage to entice passengers to use them instead of their
competitors. At the same time, the move to encourage passengers
to carry their baggage in the cabin to speed check in only succeeded
in transferring the potential for delays to a different area,
and has made security measures more difficult to implement. Strict
enforcement of baggage restrictions would help lessen the amount
of baggage to be carried into the cabin of an aircraft and would
speed the boarding time and to reduce the handling costs.
8. Measures put in place by the DfT and
enforced by the airport operators have caused inconvenience to
the traveller, however their motivation is public safety. The
response by some airlines to these measures have worsened the
situation. Instead of advising their travellers on the restrictions
they have openly criticised the measures in the media, and by
expounding alternative measures have created confusion for the
travellers. In some case they have encouraged the public to bring
claims against the airport operators and the Government.
9. The airport operators are looking to
reduce their operating costs and have therefore looked to reducing
their biggest overhead, their staff. The moves to reduce frontline
managerial staff who deal with the customers on a day to day basis
will reduce the level of service in airports, including security
and safety. It is these members of staff who respond to and support
the ever changing regulation put in place to combat any threat
against the traveller. These staff who have the knowledge, skills
and experience to respond and deal with emergencies in a professional
way, to give support and protection to the travellers making air
travel the most safe form of transport. In the unfortunate event
of emergency or incident these are the staff who are at the forefront
of the operations to reassure and protect the public. Any cuts
in service will lead to a lack of confidence in our transportation
industry.
October 2006
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