ATCL yawasimamisha kazi wafanyakazi zaidi ya 150

Kwangu mimi kama wamelipwa wote mafao, halafu mchina akaanza nao baadhi yao naoni ni sawa kabisa. Uzoefu unaonyesha kuwa wawekezaji wengi wanarithi wafanyakazi wakati wa kununua biashara baadae wafanyakazi hao huwa wananyanyasika sana, kwani huwkuta na maslahi yao (Voluntary Agreement) ambayo wawekezaji wengi kwa kujifanya kwenda na wakati huyapuuza na wafanyakazi kuishia pabaya kimaslahi au kufukuzwa kabisa na miaka yao waliotoa jasho kupotea kabisa.

Unless, kuna kitu hatujaambiwa.
 
Wazawa hatuna uwezo, nchi yenyewe imeshindwa kuendesha mzawa yupi ataweza. Kwa hili sina lawama na mtu yeyote, tujifunze kutoka kwa wenzetu wanafanyaje kazi.
Ni kweli Caroline. Hili Shirika limeuawa na wazawa au maamuzi ya wazawa? Walipowapa wa-South Africa waliingia mkataba ambao ulikuwa ni kama wanawagawia bure. Muhusika mkubwa alikuwa ni mtu anaitwa Dr. Gideon Kaunda. Mpaka sasa yupo kwenye mzunguko anaendelea kupeta. Huu mkataba na waChina bado haujulikani una mwelekeo gani. Lakini sitashangaa na wenyewe ukawa ni vile vile ili mradi Jina linabaki AIR TANZANIA. Kwa kifupi mimi nafikiri business knowledge/International business knowledge ya wafanya maamuzi wa kitanzania ni ndogo sana. Sijui kama ni matokeo ya elimu duni au ndivyo walivyo tu.
 
Ni kweli Caroline. Hili Shirika limeuawa na wazawa au maamuzi ya wazawa? Walipowapa wa-South Africa waliingia mkataba ambao ulikuwa ni kama wanawagawia bure. Muhusika mkubwa alikuwa ni mtu anaitwa Dr. Gideon Kaunda. Mpaka sasa yupo kwenye mzunguko anaendelea kupeta. Huu mkataba na waChina bado haujulikani una mwelekeo gani. Lakini sitashangaa na wenyewe ukawa ni vile vile ili mradi Jina linabaki AIR TANZANIA. Kwa kifupi mimi nafikiri business knowledge/International business knowledge ya wafanya maamuzi wa kitanzania ni ndogo sana. Sijui kama ni matokeo ya elimu duni au ndivyo walivyo tu.

Ruge Opinion na wasomaji wengine,
Mimi binafsi sina tatizo na upunguzaji wa wafanyakazi wa ATC, kwani hali ya biashara ndiyo inayotoa maamuzi halisi ya nini kifanyike ndani ya ATC kwa sasa.
Historia ya ATC imekuwa ni ndefu sana tangu ilipoanza pale mwaka 1977 baada ya kuvunjika kwa Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki na lile Shirika lake la ndege yaani East African Airways (EAA). Ninakumbuka serikali ilifanya juhudi za makusudi kabisa chini ya Marehemu Jaji Yahya Rubama kuhakikisha kuwa Tanzania kama nchi inakuwa na usafiri wa anga haraka sana iwezekanavyo. Kazi ilifanywa na hatimaye kuwezesha kuzaliwa ATC. Pamoja na hayo, moyo waliokuwa nao wafanyakazi wa ATC ndiyo uliyoiwezesha ATC kusimama haraka na kufanya kazi kama ilivyotarajiwa. Ikumbukwe kuwa wengi wa wafanyakazi walipoteza haki zao za msingi na mali zao mara tu jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki ilipovunjika.

Je ATC ilianzishwa kwa mtaji sahihi?
Hili suala la mtaji wa ATC lilikuwa ni tatizo sugu tangu ilipoanzishwa mwaka 1977. Shirika liliendelea kufanya kazi kwa muda mrefu likiwa na mtaji usiokidhi shughuli zake. kitendo cha kufanya biashara katika mazingira hayo iliifanya ATC ilimbikize hasara kwa muda mrefu na kuifanya ipoteze sifa ya kuwa na hali nzuri kibiashara.
Aidha, maamuzi ya moja kwa moja ya kisiasa yalichangia kwa sehemu kubwa kuifanya ATC isipate faida. Kwa mfano, maamuzi ya kupeleka ndege sehemu ambazo hazikuwa na faida ya kibiashara yaliyotokana na wabunge au viongozi wa serikali.

Je ATC ilikuwa na uongozi imara?
Kama ambavyo ilivyokuwa mashirika mengine ya umma, ATC nayo pia ilikuwa mwathirika wa sera zisizokuwa na manufaa kiuchumi kwa wakati huo. Kwa vipindi tofauti, ATC ilikosa Bodi za wakurugenzi ambazo zilikuwa na visheni ya kuipeleka mbali. Wengi wa wanabodi walikuwa ni wanasiasa na viongozi wa serikali. Maamuzi ya bodi ya ATC hayakuwa yanazingatia biashara zaidi isipokuwa 'hali halisi' ya wanabodi. Inasikitisha sana kuona kuwa hakuna hata bodi moja ya ATC leo inaweza kusema kuwa ilifanikiwa.

Je, ATC ilikuwa na wafanyakazi wa namna gani?
Hakika hapa sina budi kutoa pongezi nyingi sana kwa wafanyakazi wote waliopo ATC na wale ambao kwa nyakati moja au nyingine walikuwa ni sehemu ya wafanyakazi. ATC hadi kufikia hapa ilipo, imeweza kusimama kwa nguvu na uzalendo mkubwa sana waliokuwa nao wafanyakazi wake. Si rahisi kwa walio wengi kufahamu juu ya ukweli huu lakini uwezo pekee wa wafanyakazi ndiyo iliyokuwa nyenzo muhimu iliyoifanya ATC isimame na kuendelea kuwepo hadi leo hii.
Kwa mfano wakati Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki inavunjika pamoja na kutoweka kwa East African Airways, Kenya ilinufaika kwa kuwa na rasilimali watu ambao waliweza kuanzisha Kenya Airways na kuiendesha vema. Leo hii Kenya Airways pamoja na kukabiliana ushindani mkubwa sana wa kibiashara, imeendelea kutambua na kuwekeza kwa nguvu katika rasilimali watu kwani hao ndiyo uti wa mgongo wa service industry hiyo. Hapa chini nimeweka kipande kutoka kwenye annaul report ya Kenya Airways ili usome ni jinsi gani raslimali watu ilivyo muhimu katika biashara ya ndege.
The airline is pursuing a policy of investing in the training
and development of its staff. In the 2007/2008 financial
year, the airline invested approximately Kshs.400 million
in its people through sponsoring programmes,
facilitating training in technical skills and implementing
development programs for them.
There are currently 330 qualified pilots employed by the
airline. Of these, 61 pilots are in training, 44 are second
officers and 17 are Ab-initios. The second officers have
completed their Ab-initio training and have passed the
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority examinations. They are
required to undergo another six months of training before
being appointed First Officers. The 17 Ab-initios complete
their training in June 2008 and will then go through an
additional three months of training before completing the
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority examinations.
With regard to the training of apprentices and engineers,
last year, 13 apprentices who began their training in 2005
were released to the business. This year, 29 apprentices
will complete their training of which 21 will have undergone
the Airframe and Power Plant Training, while 8 will have
been trained in avionics. A further 25 apprentices will be
recruited for training during the current financial year.
They will include 15 apprentices for Airframe and Power
Plant training and 8 for Avionics training.
In addition to the apprentice program, Kenya Airways
recruited 17 graduate engineers in January 2007 for an
engineering development program. These engineers
completed their training in June 2008 after which they were
absorbed into various roles in the Technical Department.
For the next financial year, Kenya Airways plans to
recruit management trainees for a management
development program. This program will involve on the
job training in all departments of the airline, feature
instructor led programs delivered by our business leaders
and will be conducted in partnership with the industry.
In addition to the aforementioned programs, Kenya
Airways continues to provide training for staff in
partnership with the industry and institutions of
higher
learning. Some of the programs that were delivered to staff
at various levels during the last year include customer
service training, personal effectiveness, leading winning
teams, management training, and leadership training.

Katika kipindi cha miaka ya mwanzo mwa ATC na hata mwishoni mwa miaka ya 80 ATC ndiyo iliyokuwa mhimili mkuu wa uzalishaji uendelezaji wa wafanyakazi wa fani zinazohusiana na shughuli za ndege. Lakini kadri hali ilivyozidi kuwa ngumu kwa ATC, uboreshaji wa mashughuli za usafiri wa anga uliendelea kwa kuzingatia viwango vinavyokubalika katika sekta hiyo.
Wasiwasi wangu ni kuwa endapo ATC itaimarika, basi haitakuwa na budi ku-import Kenyans kuja kufanya kazi katika shirika hilo kwani uwekezaji unaofanyika huko utatawala sekta ya anga katika Afrika Mashariki.

Hali ya biashara ya anga ikoje sasa hivi duniani kote?
Japo tunawaona Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines na mashirika mengine makubwa barani Afrika kuwa yanafanya vizuri, lakini na yenyewe yamekumbwa na mtikisiko mkubwa katika miaka hii ya karibuni kutokana na kuyumba kwa bei ya mafuta na kupanda kwa premium za bima. Gharama za uendeshaji wa mashirika ya ndege dunia kote iko juu sana kuyafanya mashirika mengi kufanya kazi kwa hasara. Imefika wakati mapato kwa ndege yanazidi matumizi kwa tofauti ya kiti kimoja.

Je, kubinafsisha ATC ni sahihi?
Kimsingi, ATC inahitaji mtaji ili iweze kuendelea kufanya shughuli zake kwa faida. Kwa wakati huu tulionao si busara kwa serikali kuendelea kumiliki ATC kwa 100% kwani kwa kufanya hivyo itakuwa inalazimika kutumia fedha za kodi ambayo ingetumika kwa shughuli nyingine za wananchi. Lakini hata hivyo serikali inawajibu wa kuhakikisha kuwa ATC inakuwa pia mikononi mwa wananchi hata kama akipatikana mbia mpya. Kwa mfano katika Kenya Airways Mwaka 1996 KLM aliuziwa 26% ya shares zote za shirika hilo, serikali imebakiza 23% na zilizobaki ziko kwa wanahisa wengine wengi wenye hisa kwa asilimia ndogo. Mimi binafsi ninaunga mkono kwa serikali kuhakikisha kuwa ATC inapata mwekezaji mwingine. Lakini hata hivyo, tusitegemee kuwa kila mwekezaji atakuja na miujiza, la hasha, kitakachomuweka hapa Tanzania na kufanya biashara ni pale tu atakapokuwa anapata faida, kinyume cha hapo ataondoka kwani hakuna investor yeyote duniani atakayekuwa tayari kubeba hasara bila ya ukomo au kujua ni namna gani ataibuka katika faida. Tukumbuke kuwa pesa hizi za wawekezaji ni mikopo ya namna moja au nyingine huko watokako kwa hiyo inabeba riba na gharama nyingine.

Hapa chini ninaweka maelezo yanayoeleza biashara ya ndege ni ya namna gani. Maelezo haya yanaweza kusaidia wasomaji kupata mwanga zaidi.

Capital-Intensive

In contrast with many service businesses, airlines today need more than storefronts and telephones to get started. They need an enormous range of expensive equipment and facilities, from airplanes to flight simulators to maintenance hangars, aircraft tugs, airport counter space and gates. Consequently, the airline industry is a capital-intensive business, requiring large sums of money to operate effectively. Most equipment is financed through loans or the issuance of stock. Increasingly, airlines are also leasing equipment, including assets they owned previously but sold to someone else and leased back. Whatever arrangements an airline chooses to pursue, its capital needs require consistent profitability. Because airlines own large fleets of expensive aircraft that depreciate in value over time, they historically have generated a substantial positive cash flow (profits plus depreciation). Most airlines use their cash flow to repay debt, acquire new aircraft or upgrade facilities. When cash flow is significant, airlines may also issue dividends to shareholders.

Labor-Intensive

Airlines employ a virtual army of pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, baggage handlers, reservation and customer service representatives, cleaners, analysts, sales staff, accountants, lawyers, engineers, schedulers, auditors and others. New technologies have enabled airlines to automate many tasks and operate more efficiently but, because airlines are a service provider where customers require personal attention, human capital will retain a prominent role within any airline's operations. More than one-third of the revenue generated each day by the airlines goes to pay the wages, benefits and payroll taxes of its workforce, and labor costs per employee are above average compared to other service industries.
Airline employees have extensive contact with the customer, particularly in passenger transportation. Many airline employees belong to unions, making it one of the most unionized industries in the country. In 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 50 percent of all workers in the air transportation industry were union members or were covered by union contracts, compared with 14 percent of workers throughout the economy.

Airline Profitability

Airlines, through the years, have earned a net profit margin consistently below the average for U.S. industry as a whole. Also, customer demand is highly seasonal. The summer months are extremely busy, as students are out of school and many individuals and families take vacations. Winter, on the other hand, tends to be slow, with the exception of the Thanksgiving and Winter holidays. Accordingly, passenger traffic and revenue rise and fall throughout the course of any given year. Airlines have responded in kind by adjusting their schedules periodically to realign their scheduled capacity to better fit this ebb and flow.

Airline Revenue - Where the Money Comes From

On average, 80 percent of a U.S. passenger airline's revenue comes from passengers purchasing tickets. Of the balance, the majority comes from cargo and other transport-related services. For the all-cargo sector, of course, freight, express and mail is the sole source of transport carriage revenue.
Approximately three-fourths of all U.S. airline passenger revenue is generated from domestic service while a fifth comes from international passengers. The majority of tickets are processed by travel agents, most of whom rely on global distribution systems to keep track of schedules and fares, to book reservations and to print tickets for customers.
Similarly, freight forwarders book the majority of air-cargo space. Like travel agents, freight forwarders are independent intermediaries that match shippers with cargo suppliers.

Airline Costs - Where the Money Goes


According to reports filed with the Department of Transportation in 2005, airline costs were as follows:
  • Flying Operations – essentially any cost associated with the operation of aircraft, such as fuel and pilot salaries – 37 percent
  • Maintenance – both parts and labor – 10 percent
  • Aircraft and Traffic Service – basically the cost of handling passengers, cargo and aircraft on the ground and including such things as the salaries of baggage handlers, dispatchers and airline gate representatives – 14 percent
  • Promotion/Sales – including advertising, reservations and travel agent commissions – 6 percent
  • Passenger Service – in-flight service, including such things as food and flight attendant salaries – 6 percent
  • Transport Related – outsourced regional capacity providers, in-flight sales – 17 percent
  • Administrative – 6 percent Depreciation/Amortization – equipment and plants – 5 percent
Labor costs are common to nearly all of these categories. When looked at as a whole, labor accounts for a fourth of the airlines' operating expenses and three fourths of controllable costs. Fuel recently overtook labor as the airlines' largest cost (about 25 to 30 percent of total expenses), and transport-related costs are third (about 17 percent). Transport-related costs, in particular, have grown sharply in recent years, and many airlines have outsourced a substantial portion of their flying needs to smaller regional carriers to align supply and costs more closely with demand.


Break-Even Load Factors

Every airline – indeed every flight – has what is called a break-even load factor. That is the percentage of the seats the airline has in service that it must sell at a given yield, or price level, to cover its costs.
Since revenue and costs vary from one airline to another, so does the break-even load factor. Higher costs raise the break-even load factor, while higher fares have just the opposite effect. On average, the break-even load factor for the industry in recent years has surpassed 80 percent, thanks principally to higher fuel prices and lower fares.
Airlines typically operate very close to their break-even load factor. The sale of just one or two more seats on each flight can mean the difference between profit and loss.
 
Back
Top Bottom