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Airwave staff threaten strike action
After an announcement by the company to cut 11% of the workforce to cope with the global economic situation staff at Airwave have threatened strike action.
Unions said that threat had been prompted by the “unnecessarily aggressive” approach of the business, which was bought by Macquarie, the investment group, two years ago. Airwave was being unreasonable by offering workers only the minimum legal consultation period of 30 days and insisting on some compulsory cuts, they said.
The job cuts, which Airwave says are necessary because of the economic downturn, would put at risk the quality of the critical service, the unions said. Andy Kerr, the deputy general-secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: “Airwave’s plans could undermine the vital work these people do keeping the UK’s emergency services’ communications network working.The company has left us no choice but to ballot for industrial action by imposing compulsory redundancies and aggravating the situation with an unrealistically short consultation period.” The union said that industrial action would “affect staff who are the linchpin of Airwave’s operation”.
Airwave, which employs 829 people in Britain, is seeking to make 95 workers redundant. A spokeswoman for Airwave said: “In the current economic environment we have had to look at the efficiency and effectiveness of our organisation and we are not unique in this. We are not cutting any of our key programmes.”
A statement from Airwave sent to the BAPCO Journal read: "We are aware of the CWU's intention to take strike action. This is a very difficult period for everyone in Airwave who have a highly responsible role in supporting Britain's emergency services. However, like many other businesses in the current economic climate we have had to look at the efficiency and effectiveness of our organisation. We have endeavoured to be as transparent as possible and are communicating with our employees about the reasons behind the proposed job cuts. Although there will be compulsory redundancies we are, in the main, going down the voluntary redundancy route. The job cuts are affecting supporting roles throughout the whole country - none of Airwave's key programmes or customer supporting teams are affected."
Richard Bobbett, Airwave's CEO said, "Our two key concerns are to support our people through this difficult period and ensure our customers do not experience any impact to the service we give them. I am proud that we have a workforce who put supporting the emergency services at the heart of everything they do."
Airwave Forum 2009
Airwave has organised an event for its customers and partners. It is an ideal forum to meet with Airwave staff and partenrs. The event is being held at the Celtic Manor Hotel, Newport, South Wales on Wednesday 25th March. The broadcaster Nick Ross will chair the event and will bring together some highly respected keynote speakers from across the emergency services community and General Sir Mike Jackson formerly Chief of the General Staff as the guest speaker for the evening gala dinner.
