Airlines, with record high
operating costs, are only willing to pay so much
for ground services, and this directly effects
the pay and benefits that the ground service
companies can offer to their workers.
Take a quick look around the
ramp and you will see the average ramp worker is
under 25 years of age. These young people
generally don't have any ramp experience and are
just looking for steady work and a new
experience. Many soon realize that the ramp is
not for them.
Just getting the job can be
difficult. There are police security checks,
ramp driver's license exams, security passes,
aircraft safety courses, drug tests, personal
history checks and constant supervision.
Some of the younger ramp workers
have other qualifications such as pilot, air
traffic controller or apprentice aircraft
mechanic. After graduating their courses they
can't find work so they join the ramp crew to
get their security clearances and to shop around
for a better job at the airport. Most young ramp
workers don't consider it a career, but rather a
stepping stone.
Unfortunately the constant
recruiting and training of new employees is
contributing to overall operating costs and
limiting the pay and benefits that ground
service companies can provide. The challenge for
ground service operators is to find a way to
keep good employees from leaving.
Pay incentives, promotions to
leadership rolls, monthly moral boosting
contests, teamwork building exercises, friendly
and concerned management, these are a few
strategies that can be employed by companies to
help keep their young work force interested and
focused on their jobs.
Compare the cost of training a
new employee to the cost of starting incentive
based programs to help keep the workers you
have. Get them involved in the decisions that
directly affect their working conditions.
Empower your employees and you may find that
they will work with you instead of for you.
Honoring our Ramp Workers
If you have a co-worker or
employee that you would like to tell us about,
someone who stands out and should be recognized.
Then take some photos and write a few paragraphs
about them and send it to us here at Ground
Support Magazine. We would be happy to pass on a
well deserved pat on the back. We started in
southern Ontario Canada now lets see where this
takes us. It's time to sound off and stand proud
of the work we do every day to keep aircraft and
passengers moving.
