100 jobs to go at AA plus closure of National Training Centre
GMB, the union for AA patrol staff, commented on the announcement of 100 further jobs to go at the AA as well as the closure of national training centre in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
Paul Grafton, GMB Regional Officer, said: “Every single manager in the AA including those from Roadside and the call centres were called to a meeting yesterday to hear the announcement of the restructuring and the closure of the national training centre in Melton Mowbray.
“The closure of national training centre will reduce structured training and in the end in our view impact on quality of service delivered by the patrol force.
“GMB believes that the reduction in the numbers of managers and administration staff will also impact on the quality of the service and leave problems that should be dealt with unresolved.
“All these cuts are a direct result of the unsustainable levels of debt left by the previous private equity owners.
“All those who did nothing to oppose or indeed supported the private equity owner’s asset strip of the AA need to hang their heads in shame. This includes the in house staff association set up with the help of the management who stood idly by as GMB members were denied their rights to fight the reduction in the numbers of staff by 30% as multi millions were asset striped by the private equity multi-millionaire elite.
“It looks as if the latest activity is to squeeze the last drop out of the business before franchising.”
Contact: Paul Grafton 07714 239 092 or GMB Press Office 07970 114 762
Notes to editors:
1] Statement from AA to staff (10 Jan 2018)
Organisational Review
We are today announcing a series of proposals involving restructuring of Management and Administration in a number of functions across the AA, with the exception of our frontline delivery teams in Roadside Operations and Contact Centres. The proposals we are announcing today are aimed at reorganising and focusing accountability on our emerging strategic priorities, improving the speed of our decision making, reducing the number of layers of management, and reducing costs in order to help fund investment in front line customer service. The proposed changes are in the following areas:
Commercial (Mike Lloyd)
Roadside Delivery (Gareth Kirkwood and David Brambell)
Finance (Mark Strickland)
HR (Helen Hancock)
Central Assurance (Mark Millar)
We are also proposing changes to the administrative team who support management across the AA.
More detailed announcements about the specific proposals for their areas will be made by each of the Directors named above, but approximately 100 management, administration and some support roles across the AA are potentially at risk of redundancy. We will be launching a collective consultation process with the employees concerned.
No other areas of the business are affected at this time. Each Director will however be reviewing their management structure in the coming months and if changes are considered necessary we will make further announcements at a later date.
The IDU and our management forum have been briefed and will support those affected throughout the period of consultation.
The consultation period will run from 10th January until 24th February.
I am aware that this will be an unsettling period for everyone concerned, but we believe these changes are necessary for our development as a business. My HR Business Partners and I will be on hand to provide support where needed.
Thank you
