Fact Service March 2022

Issue 9

Union predicts chaos over outsourcing

Members of the GMB general union who work for British Airways were abused by travellers after flights were cancelled due to recent IT problems, the union has said.

The GMB says it lays the blame for the disruption on the decision to outsource IT systems abroad, as well as years of underinvestment in the business.

Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “This weekend our members have been spat at, suffered homophobic abuse and watched as disabled customers and babies were forced to sleep in the airport.

“It didn’t have to be this way – but underinvestment in the business, plus the decision in 2016 to make hundreds of dedicated and loyal IT staff redundant and outsource the work to India are taking their toll.

“Morale is at an all-time low after BA’s shameful attack on workers during the pandemic.

“Our experienced, dedicated and hardworking members fear this is now just the tip of the iceberg for the airline with a summer of chaos now a very real prospect.”

https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/british-airways-workers-spat-and-abused-thanks-outsourced-it-failure