Hundreds leaving Jat

Over 300 employees voluntarily leaving Jat

Hundreds of Jat Airways employees have applied to voluntarily leave the airline in return for a redundancy package. According to the Jat Airways employee union, some 350 people, or 27% of its workforce, are leaving the Serbian national airline, the biggest number of employees ever to apply for voluntary leave from the company. Employees have been offered 300 euros for every year they have spent working for Jat. The deal is beneficial for those who have little time left until retirement.

Redundancy packages have been offered to Jat Airways employees several times over the past thirteen years in an attempt to cut down on its workforce. Earlier this year redundancy packages were also offered, with only a handful of employees applying. However, since Etihad Airways purchased a minority stake in Jat, more have been willing to leave the airline. According to the takeover agreement between Etihad and the Serbian government, the government will cover the cost of the redundancy payout.

In a strongly worded statement, the Jat Airways employee union said, “We are witnessing another group of our colleagues leaving the company. Like many others before them no one has remembered to farewell them, thank them for their contribution, wished them good luck, given them a present on behalf of the company, even just a symbolic key ring from the departing Jat or the oncoming Air Serbia. Corporate culture? No, it is corporate arrogance, shamelessness”. The union goes on to say, “We hope and wish that this new airline which we are being promised is run by new people who know what a company is and who are its employees, what is a profit and what is a loss and why in a successful company there are happy employees. Because one without the other just doesn’t work”. According to Jat’s 2012 financial report, the airline has 1.298 employees.

Meanwhile, you can keep up to date with all the latest developments in the lead up to the launch of Air Serbia on October 26 here.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:09

    Talk about a slow aviation news day in the Balkans. But we still love you man! Go exyu-aviation!

    -- Charlie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:17

      I think this is pretty important. 27% of a company’s workforce leaving is pretty big.

      Delete
  2. As reported by ex-YU, the first A319 should be landing now to Dublin and you can track it on FlightRadar 24 as N473TA.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:02

    900 employees is by far still too many.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:28

      Note that at least 100-120 new cabin crew is hired

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:05

      Compare it to to other companies first. The old JAT used to have 4500 employees just in Belgrade.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous11:26

    I think that everybody who leaves Jat now should get 5 50%-discounted tickets on Air Serbia flights per year for next 10 years or so. That's at least what Air Serbia can do for somebody who took part in Jat's history. Etihad also should invite all former employees on Air Serbia soft opening party and in front of media says: THANK YOU!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BA88814:29

      Yup.

      And the people who worked in NIS should have discount for petrol. And the people who worked in TV should not pay licence...

      Get real!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous21:53

      +1

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:07

      As far as I have read, people leaving JU will have lifetime ticket discounts, as they were retired. I believe its fair solution. Many employees would refuse to leave, just because of that pivilage which is usual in aviation business.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:10

      As far as Etihad and media are concerned. They would probably orginize something you are proposing, cause they are good in marketing. But in the core of the problem it would be duble-faced, since Etihad didn´t show any interest to aknwoladge good things in JU and improve the bad ones. Rather than that, they are acting like they are building a road in the desert. Thus, not Etihad´s problems. It´s a problem of Serbian government and people that they rather enjoy putting some false traditions, than maintaining the real ones.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous21:57

      Anonymous @2.10pm - you speak of maintaining real traditions - like what, continuing loss making operations as has been the case for the past 10 years and in running almost 30 yr old broken aircraft ? is that your idea of maintaining real traditions ?? What planet did you land from you idiot ?? i don't know about you, but as a taxpayer, I'm fed up with financing a bloated, corrupt and loss making airline ... you obviously have money to finance such "real traditions" that is so commonpace in Serbia ... wake up and smell the coffee my friend .... this is 2013, where everyone has to pay their own way

      Delete
    6. Anonymous23:45

      A real tradition means to look backward and to say: hey, we this JU company has so many good moments and also so much troubles in the history. Lets just not stop pointig out that it has very good pilots, many of them flying all over the world now, including etihad. Lets just not stop poinitg out that company was the first european carrier to introduce B737, that it was the only communist country with non-russian planes in fleet. Lets just not stop putting out those good things. Lets mantion that it has some nice realestates in belgrade in abroad. Lets not stop putting out that we actually have the company that has build out the civil avioation from Slovenia to Macedonia, including airport facilities. Lets not sto putting out a good safetiy record. Lets not stop putting out that the company had awarded service, uniforms once - perhaps there is something there which could be used as a base to build more. Economically, lets not stop putting out that the company surived the total flying closure in the 90s, that it has good agent network in countries where serbian people live... and so on... and so on....

      That would be an example of normal building up better on the base of tradition. It's not difficult. Everything ones needs is respect, instead of conquestador-style.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:00

    So what will Air Serbia's fleet be like at the beginning of 2014?

    6 A319
    4 Atr
    6 B733 (?)

    So a total of 16 aircraft?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:27

      Thats right

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:45

      Does anyone know what's the status of Jat's B733 fleet? Which birds are still operating and which are not.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous20:01

      Not operating: ANF, ANH and ANK = 3
      Operating: AND, ANI, ANJ, ANL, ANV, ANW, AON, AOU, AOV = 9

      AOU & AOV will probably be returned to Bulgaria Air until the next summer season (if not earlier). And we know that three B733's will be retired in the next few months (because the inspections would cost more than $1.500.000). So one can expect about four B733's for the next (entire) summer season.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous13:27

    OT: SJJ september 2013 - 66.721, rise of 11% compared to 2012. This year total Jan-Sept 2013: 520.045

    source: sarajevo-airport.ba

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:21

      OT to : Jat statistics for september : passengers -7% yoy, flights +14%. Weired ?

      Delete
  7. Anonymous13:59

    More should have taken the package. A lot of them are going to be fired.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous14:10

    Is it the Jat staff so old and close to pension?
    I can't see another reason to take "just" (maybe in Serbia is a lot of money I don't know) 300 eu x working year.

    the government will cover the cost of the redundancy payout.
    Is it money yes but no need to work style?
    Serbs are clever.

    I don't want to offend anyone. Just curious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:18

      Well, those who might consider this are those who have worked their whole life for Jat/JAT. So let's say someone worked for 20 years could receive around €6,000. Though it's not a lot it does give them a chance to comfortably wait for their retirement.
      By staying in Air Serbia they might lose this money, especially those who have a few years left.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous14:11

    No, they won't. They'll just force them to take the packages. There'll be only two options. 1) You pass the assessment or 2) you take the package. No lay-offs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:13

      This should be a reply to Anon 2:10PM

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:14

      1:59PM*

      Delete
    3. Anonymous19:34

      That's correct,it is "volentary" redandancy.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous19:03

    How much is the current average monthly salary in Serbia?
    I know average is average but just to have an idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous19:18

      According to the latest statistics the average Serbian salary is 410 euros. In Belgrade it is 530 euros.

      Delete
    2. That must be gross. Net salaries are less than that. probably around 380euros in Belgrade

      Delete
  11. BA88819:09

    Professional income (eg Doctor, head of PR in big company) 1000eur

    Much, much, much less for the rest. If employed at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous19:55

      General Practitioner works for less than 490 EUR per month, specialist for less than 700 EUR per month

      Delete
  12. JU520 BEGLAX21:26

    Is that net? All socials deducted?
    Taxes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous22:35

      Net after all taxes.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous23:47

      As far as I know, no taxes are paid on social programm incomes.

      Delete

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