THE MOST comprehensive survey to be carried out on pay and conditions in the industry paints a stark picture for travel staff, revealing that they are among the worst paid employees in the country.
ABTA’s Travel Industry Rewards Survey shows that travel staff fare far worse than their counterparts in other employment sectors, earning up to 22% less than the national average wage, and having to make do with five days’ less holiday a year.
The pay for counter staff or ticketing clerks, for example, averages £10,650 a year. This figure is 13.4% lower than the average pay for someone doing a similar job outside the travel industry.
A junior travel manager earns £16,500 a year, while the pay for a junior manager outside the travel industry averages £21,223.
Only when people reach top-level management positions in travel are they amply rewarded.The results show that they are paid 10% more than the national average.
Travel staff in London are paid more than their counterparts elsewhere in the country, but their wages are still between 7%-16% lower than the average London wage.
Staff also have to make do with less annual holiday. The vast majority have 20 days off a year compared to an overall workforce average of 25 days.
To make up for the shortfall in basic pay, 55% of companies participating in the research said they pay staff commission. The average employee earns an extra 12.5% of their overall salary in this way.
In 93%of cases, commission payments are based on individual performance, with 30% taking into account corporate financial performance.
The survey, undertaken by research company the Reward Group shows that, aside from pay, travel staff lose out in other ways. For example, 65% of participants said they are offered a company pension scheme, compared with a UK average of 95%.
Travel companies contribute 5% of an employee’s salary to the pension scheme, compared with 9%-10% in other sectors. Of the respondents, 52% provide private health insurance for their staff, compared to a UKaverage of 70% of companies.
ABTAchief executive Ian Reynolds said employers need to increase wages and improve conditions if they want to keep their workforce motivated and stop people leaving the industry for a better job elsewhere.
He said:”I hope that people will look at the survey and make the necessary adjustments. They will see from this survey they are going to need to review pay. If they cannot do anything about the basic salary then they need to turn to bonuses and commission.
“If they are not able to move in those areas, aspects of employment such as training and other benefits should be addressed. Unless employers can build a total package they will not keep staff. The industry cannot expect to retain staff unless we are competitive.”
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, which represents employees in the travel industry, said the results are worrying, but not surprising.
“We welcome the fact that ABTAis paying this level of attention to pay and conditions,” said a TSSAspokesman.
“The industry has got a big problem in terms of staff turnover. People should get a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work but should also be able to progress within their company.
“The only group that is doing better in terms of pay is senior management.
“The middle-management levels are doing worse than other sectors. That is linked to the fact that there is a limited number of chances to advance up the industry ladder.”