Psychosocial and Labour Conditions-Related Hazards at the Budapest International Airport

2013.08.23 07:49

 

Key findings from the survey conducted by Joint Aviation Workers (LESZ) in August 2012

1. BACKGROUND: WHAT IS THIS?

LESZ conducted a survey-based research at the airport operating company Budapest Airport (property of Hochtief’s airport line of business). The survey, in which every worker had equal chances to participate, regardless of union membership, reached one quarter of all the employees the field of security inspections and management. Based on the answers of 112 participants, the results tell the truth about the problems at the airport, mainly due to mismanagement, years of neglect and ruthless austerity.

2. KNOWN PROBLEMS PRECEDING THE SURVEY

Growing pressure after quality issues. ICAO downgraded the BUD airport in the summer of 2010, suspending its Schengen-compatibility. Afterwards, bold steps were taken by the management, only in the wrong direction. Not having had reckoned the shortage of workers, the lack of their motivation, and the negative effects of labour conditions, the chief officers of the company saw the issue at hand mainly as a question of stricter discipline.

Extreme turnover rates. Following the 2012 spring bankruptcy of Hungarian national carrier Malév, huge layoffs took place at the security area, too. In this action, members of LESZ were significantly overrepresented. Even more disturbingly, during the four months following the rationalization, one quarter of all the staff chose to leave voluntarily. Turnover rates have remained very high, over a hundred people have departed with an intimate knowledge of all relevant safety and inspections protocols in the year since the survey took place. Insufficient staff is a permanent problem that leads to regularly demanded overtime working.

Unbearable working hours and days. New shifts were introduced in spring 2012. These include the least popular so-called 8 hours system that includes the overbearing majority of security area employees. This means that the start of work changes from day to day, irregularly. This system is especially taxing on the human body and health. Little wonder, that on an average day 5-10 percent of staff is absent due to sick leave or other medical reasons.

Moreover, days off and starting times are only revealed for the coming fortnight. Frequently, workers are ordered for unexpected work via SMS messages. The above system leaves plenty of room for abuse and, in its functioning, shows a strong bias against LESZ union members and people who dare to complain.

No unexpected labour checks allowed. The current regulation issued by BA does not allow random sampling of problems by Hungarian labour authorities. Instead, the time and date of inspections must be arranged days ahead, giving ample time for BA to prepare everything beforehand.

Lack of psychological aptitude tests. After the 2009 strike – broken with imported Greek security inspectors – these aptitude tests were removed from among the recruitment criteria for would-be security inspectors. The reasoning behind the move was austerity, just like in the case of the disbanding of the medical service, where two workplace psychologists used to help employees cope with daily stress factors.

Perilously low wages. During the time of the survey the net monthly wages among security area workers were between HUF 120-220 thousand (EUR 400-730). Today, some security inspectors’ wages barely exceed EUR 300. These wages are astonishingly low even by Hungarian standards, and might embolden criminals to bribe employees. The numbers include all add-ons and potential bonuses.

Underfunded and underequipped training. The education of newly recruited security inspectors was handled by one single teacher. Beyond the haphazardly modified and patched-up curriculum, there was and still is no possibility to try recently introduced practices and technologies before their actual application in real-life situations.

Further undisclosed security threats. The survey also revealed signs of direct threats to airport safety that would have been improper to publicize.  LESZ promptly warned Hungarian authorities about these.

3. Key Findings of the Survey

  • A mere 36 percent of all questioned colleagues arrive to work feeling sufficiently rested “always” or “most of the time”. Among workers included the ever changing 8-hour shift system this ratio is even lower: less than one fifth answered this way.
  • For over half of all workers, finding time rest and recharge poses an “almost insurmountable” or a “huge” problem. 43 percent of 8-hour shift workers have attention and concentration difficulties “almost always” or “frequently”.
  • 79 percent of all respondents did “completely” or “mainly” disagree with the statement that quality work is respected and honoured at BA. Three quarter of all respondents experience financial difficulties by the ends of months. Only 22 percent of all respondents have long-term plans at their current employer.
  • Only 40 percent of employees involved in the 8-hours shift answered that they can plan their spare time and days off, two weeks ahead.
  • 43 percent of all respondents said that there is “never” or “seldom” enough time for their duties, complying with all instructions and regulations. A third of all respondents complained that there are “never” or “seldom” enough tools and devices to accomplish their tasks faithful to directives and in time.
  • 64 percent of all workers questioned said that there are times when they have no way to eat or drink during a 6 hour or longer period of work.
  • 44 percent of all respondents experience stress-related symptoms themselves “always” or “most of the time”.
  • When asked about the stress-exposure of their fellows, an even grimmer picture was drawn. More than two thirds of all respondents believed that their colleagues “always” or “most of the time” cannot concentrate on their work at a consistently high level, due to stress.

4. Conclusions and aftermath

Although the above findings of the research were publicized, they remained relatively echo-less in Hungary. At the airport, not much has changed. The ongoing transfer of Hochtief Airports to Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investment) has not yet had an effect on the management. Part of the security field has been outsourced to a new 100 percent BA-owned daughter company. Wages have continued to decline both nominally and in purchasing power. A shop-committee was elected, contrary to a supreme court ruling, in which LESZ, the largest union was not involved. Many legal cases are ongoing.