Manage cuts or pay the price

Manage cuts or pay the price

Given the current circumstances, it was inevitable there would be job cuts on the scale we are now seeing, most notably in the tour operator and aviation sectors. But the key to the long-term health of the industry will be the way in which the cutbacks are managed.

One of the lessons of the Gulf War was that it makes no sense to lay off experienced staff if you have to recruit inexperienced ones when business picks up. Better to retain those you have spent time and money on training, ready for the upturn.

Let’s hope the consultation process at Airtours and Thomson result in a flexible approach to job shares and part-time working arrangements.