Leaked BMI Email Grounds 90 Jobs; Buyout Will Cut Posts At Belfast Airport Hub
AIRPORT workers' worst fears were confirmed today after BMI's buyout means their jobs will be axed.
A leaked email confirmed 90 staff at Belfast City Airport will be made redundant.
They were facing an uncertain future following the carrier's buyout by British Airways.
But a communique signed by BMI chief executive Wolfgang Prock-Schauer confirmed most posts "will" go.
The email, addressed "Dear all", outlines details of the "integration" of parts of BMI into BA and how the "BMI brand will disappear and our fleet will be repainted in British Airways' livery".
But in an indication of how jobs at London Heathrow will be saved, but those at regional airports including Belfast City are to go, the email added the "operational integration at Heathrow would secure jobs for up to 1,500 BMI mainline staff".
The email goes on: "Around 1,100 BMI cabin crew, pilots and engineers based at Heathrow would join BA.
"Up to 400 passenger service jobs would be secured at Heathrow Terminal 1."
However, in a line that will leave BMI staff in Belfast devastated the April 12 memo adds: "Regrettably, the integration proposals will lead to up to 1,200 redundancies. These roles are primarily based in the Midlands, at regional airports and in support, commercial and overhead functions.
"In the case of redundancies BMI's redundancy arrangements would apply."
Mr Prock-Schauer said he "deeply regrets" the job losses but that the integration is the "best possible solution for our business". The fact BMI redundancy arrangements are to apply has further riled unions involved in talks over the job losses.
They claim that BMI offers "twice statutory" or two weeks' pay per year worked as opposed to four weeks with BA. One Unite rep said the fact jobs are to go in regional centres is "industrial ethnic cleansing" and added "we will be fighting this".
BA has insisted it is "doing all we can to preserve as many jobs as possible".
He added and that BMI "is currently losing more than pounds 3million a week and it urgently needs to be restructured".
In a statement it added: "Without British Airways' intervention it is likely that BMI would have shut with the loss of all jobs.
"Overall our proposals aim to preserve more jobs than are lost.
"It would be inappropriate to speculate about specific job losses until the consultation process has ended."
The job losses have sparked widespread anger with East Belfast DUP MLA Robin Newton last week accusing BA of a "callous attitude towards staff" in the "handling of this".
Voice Of The Mirror: P8
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