Press Release
GMB Accuse AA Of Speaking With "Forked Tongue" Over Refusal Of Breakdown Service To Member Who Died
5 Jan 2006
The GMB today accused the AA of speaking with "forked tongue" in relation to the incident at Sheffield where the AA refused a breakdown service to a member who had died at the wheel.
Paul Maloney GMB National Officer for the AA commented on this incident said
“On one hand the AA apologised to the family for their negligence. At the same time they are putting staff in call centres who deal with breakdowns under extreme pressure. They have reduced the average amount of time staff have for each breakdown call to 236 seconds. They have introduced a performance management system which forces staff to sell membership upgrades and to get new members to join during these 236 seconds. If staff do not increase the revenue to the AA during these calls their pay is affected and they face disciplinary action. The prime objective is not for staff to help the public with broken down vehicles but to increase income for the AA.
GMB complained to AA in October 2005 that staff are being bullied and disciplined through this process of performance management. GMB have pointed out that staff in call centres receive little if any support from Management during the course of their shift, and are normally left to their own devices, except for reminders of the sales and upgrades targets. GMB have also complained that this same ethos of increasing revenue to AA now pervades the work of the AA patrol staff.
The AA yesterday issued a new Directive to all staff instructing them to seek advice from a Manager is respect of untoward incidents. The staff have complained to the GMB that this is mere tokenism in order to protect the AA whilst staff are left to suffer if they do not bring in more money for the AA.
The venture capitalist who own AA are speaking with "forked tongue".”
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