THOMAS Cook has
revealed a shake-up to its pay structure for agents that could result in an
increase in basic salaries.
The new structure
– which will come into force when pay reviews take place next April – will be
based on an accreditation system taking into account product knowledge and
individual skills.
Staff will be
marked on their knowledge, training and achievements in specific areas as part
of the pay review process in a bid to increase the number of ‘travel experts’.
The aim is to help
the company retain more of its workforce in an industry notorious for a high
staff turnover by rewarding staff commitment.
Thomas Cook human
resources director Fiona Rodford
admitted a key issue in the shake-up would be base pay, which currently stands
at £8,200.
The details of the
new pay structure have yet to be hammered out with travel trade union the
Transport Salaried Staffs Association and other employee bodies.
Rodford said:
“With a new pay scheme we will look at base pay linked in with staff knowledge.
We will always take on trainees at the lower end but the focus will be on
having experts. At the moment we are still in discussions with the TSSA and
have not finalised salary bands.”
She added: “It’s
about levels of knowledge staff have. It’s not been as good as it could be in
the past. What we want to do with distribution is put in a new pay and
performance system that reflects knowledge and individual skills.”
The TSSA, which
represents 3,000 Thomas Cook employees, said it would be having open
discussions with the company about next year’s pay.
A union spokesman
said: “I am sure base pay will be one of the key issues but staff might say
concessions or other deals are more important to them.”