Employees of Ryanair lagging dealer Skytanking at Eindhoven Airport could not take a break last Sunday due to staff shortage. This is reported by trade union FNV. The shortage of people ensured on Sunday that passengers had to wait up to two hours on the plane before they could get out. Departing flights were delayed. “Some employees had to cry.”
“It is clear that last weekend were very large shortages,” says Birte Nelen of FNV. “And because of that workload there are more people at home again.” And of course the patience of the passengers is also running out, so employees also have to deal with irritation and even aggression. “
The situation of Ryanair’s luggage handler at Eindhoven Airport has been a headache file since April last year due to structural understaffing. That ensures hassle with suitcases and even safety is at stake, employees complain. “Ryanair wants to fly as cheaply as possible and that is why the ground handling must also be cheap. But the employees pay the price for that,” says Nelen.
Skytanking does this at Eindhoven Airport
Skytanking provides the entire process for travelers of Ryanair flights at Eindhoven Airport. When checking in the luggage up to the Vliegergeur door, people from Skytanking are standing to help passengers.
Behind the scenes, the company ensures that the luggage is loaded and unloaded and that the luggage ends up at the right destination, so that people can take it off the band there again.
Speed over safety
Last month it became clear that sky tanking prevails a fear culture. The FNV trade union put out a survey among staff. According to employees, speed often goes beyond safety. In addition, many people fall out due to too high work pressure.
“We don’t have the idea that Skytanking wants to change something,” says trade union spokesperson Nelen. “It was in the conversation that we had a while ago with them, more about which employees had submitted complaints than about what they could change in concrete terms.”
Last month there was another conversation between trade union FNV, the management of Eindhoven Airport and Skytanking. Although Skytanking only has a contract with Ryanair, the trade union believes that the airport should also take its responsibility and do something to tackle the problems.
“Such a conversation is not common, but it was really necessary. We also miss the role of the airport. They have to intervene.” After the summer, a new consultation with Skytanking and the FNV will follow.
Response Eindhoven Airport
For the management of Eindhoven Airport, the results of the FNV investigation from July were the reason to talk to Skytanking. But that conversation has not yet yielded anything. “Sky tanking was improved by sky tanking,” said a spokesperson for the airport. “The company has made changes to occupation and grilles that should improve.”
But the airport does not notice that improvement, says the spokesperson. “Safety has absolute top priority. Skytanking has been struggling with a lack of staff for a long time, but this has not yet led to safety incidents. The management of Eindhoven Airport has expressed its concerns about the situation at Skytanking to Skytanking.”
Employees of Skytanking expressed Brabant Omroep and at the FNV trade union earlier about safety. “A colleague of mine was not trained to drive a staircase, but still had to do this from a manager. If he had caused an accident, he would not be insured.”
No response
Both Skytanking and Ryanair did not respond to questions from Omroep Brabant on Monday. The Labor Inspectorate does not want to say anything about the situation, because the investigation into sky tanking is still ongoing. Last year the company received a warning from the Labor Inspectorate.