BREAKING NEWS!
Well, the decision has been finalized. I never talked about it on my blog, but there was a lot going on at AFC the last few months. Air France-KLM Group posted a major profit and all of its units contributed to this. These units are: Passenger Transport (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France S.A., KLM Cityhopper, Air France Regiónal)... Cargo Transport (KLM Cargo and Air France Cargo)... Aircraft Maintenance Services (KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Air France Industries)... Ground Services (KLM Ground Services and AFSL)... Catering Services (KLM Catering and Servair)... Low Cost Division (Transavia.com)... Special Services (Air France Consulting, KLM Equipment Services, Cygnific, Amadeus IT Group and KLM System Services).
Now that the Air France-KLM deal is going so well they are synergizing offices and divisions. First to dissappear 4 years ago was the KLM BeNeLux office in Hoofddorp and the Air France office in Amsterdam. Then all AF employees in Holland became employed by KLM Nederland (including me) and KLM employees in France, Sao Paulo, St. Maarten, Caracas and Montréal became AF employees. KLM dropped Caracas, Buenos Aires, and Miami in favour of AF and in return AF dropped Kuwait City, Jakarta and Manila for KLM.
The next step is the integration of KLM E&M and AFI. They now are both performing MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul ) on their own airplanes and third parties as one company. Then KLM Cargo and AF Cargo will start operating as AF-KL Cargo and will cooperate with SkyTeam Cargo. And then... there's us... Air France Consulting with offices in Amstelveen, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Paris, New York City, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Dubai. Some offices are huge and others are as small as 2-3 consultants. Here in Holland we are with 20 people. AF wanted to integrate the European offices into one. This was a measure to cut cost and increase revenue. If you intergrate, you don't pay office space rent, coordination team for travel can be done out of one location (here in Holland AFC uses the services of KLM crewco), less travel between offices etc. etc. The question was this: which offices would close and which would stay open besides the Paris/Roissy headquarters. We got the answer today... Frankfurt, London and Amstelveen would shut down completely. The winner was Brussels. This because of the location, great tax laws and case load. Berlin who has 3 employees will go first. They will shut down by June 30th. All 3 emplyees who are French, will transfer to the Roissy office. The London and Amstelveen offices will close simultaneously. The official date is set on October 31st, 2007. AFC Belgium will become AFC BeNeLux.
However all ongoing projects operated out of Holland will seize by July 31st and in a 1-month transitionary period we will be assisting AFC Belgium in taking over our work load. August 31st we say goodbye to AFC and 2 months later the company will dissappear off the papers completely in Holland.
Honestly, no one is completely distraught, as everyone are offered options within and outside the company. Let me break it down:
OPTION 1: Anyone who wishes to leave the company and continue to pursue something else will be offered a severance package which includes a lump some of money for the amount of years worked with AF and/or KLM, a bonus of € 5000,-, the sum of €2500,- in case you want to follow a course to increase your market value in the job market (you will have to show proof that you will be attending a course/study), full flight benefits for yourself and your family(IPB) ending December 2008, a glowing recommendation letter and if you desire payment to an outplacement bureau to find you adequate employment. After resigning from KLM Nederland (doing business as and representing Air France Consulting The Netherlands) and signing a letter of non-disclosure you are prohibited to work at certain aviation companies for 1 calender year.
OPTION 2: Those who wish to continue with AFC BeNeLux based in Brussels are welcome to do so and will receive €10.000,- relocation fee. This fee are for those who are willing to make the move to Belguim to live. If you decide to stay living in NL you will not receive this amount, but you will recieve a FIRST class train abbonement on NS International and if necessary your flight fees will be covered 100% (AMS-BRU). You will have resign from KLM Nederland and enter into employment with Air France (Belgique) S.A.. You will retain all of your years of service.
OPTION 3: Those wishing to continue within the AF-KLM Group will be placed in postions with similar or higher salaries. This can be in either Holland or France. You can make your preferance known. Each person will be given a maximum of 4 offers. If they refuse all 4, option 1 will apply and you will be required to leave the company.
OPTION 4: Outplacement in another company retaining some AF-KL benefits. AFC will place you in a company outside of the AF-KLM Group. You will receive a similar salary (or higher) from the comapny you work for. On paper you will resign from KLM Nederland. If the salary is less than you earn now, then KLM Nederland will supplement the difference for a period of 5 years. Reduced IPB benefits will be retained, so family will not be able to use such benefits. You are guaranteed at least a 5 year contract with said company. These are companies that do business with AF-KL. After the 5 year period, you either stay with the company and lose all AF-KL benefits or return to the AF-KLM Group. Or you can also continue to pursue your own endevours.
I sat down with the HR Manager today, because he wanted to see what my thoughts were. He wants me to go to AFC BeNeLux. I told him very clearly "hell-to-the-no". Those were exactly my words.
Now that the Air France-KLM deal is going so well they are synergizing offices and divisions. First to dissappear 4 years ago was the KLM BeNeLux office in Hoofddorp and the Air France office in Amsterdam. Then all AF employees in Holland became employed by KLM Nederland (including me) and KLM employees in France, Sao Paulo, St. Maarten, Caracas and Montréal became AF employees. KLM dropped Caracas, Buenos Aires, and Miami in favour of AF and in return AF dropped Kuwait City, Jakarta and Manila for KLM.
The next step is the integration of KLM E&M and AFI. They now are both performing MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul ) on their own airplanes and third parties as one company. Then KLM Cargo and AF Cargo will start operating as AF-KL Cargo and will cooperate with SkyTeam Cargo. And then... there's us... Air France Consulting with offices in Amstelveen, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Paris, New York City, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Dubai. Some offices are huge and others are as small as 2-3 consultants. Here in Holland we are with 20 people. AF wanted to integrate the European offices into one. This was a measure to cut cost and increase revenue. If you intergrate, you don't pay office space rent, coordination team for travel can be done out of one location (here in Holland AFC uses the services of KLM crewco), less travel between offices etc. etc. The question was this: which offices would close and which would stay open besides the Paris/Roissy headquarters. We got the answer today... Frankfurt, London and Amstelveen would shut down completely. The winner was Brussels. This because of the location, great tax laws and case load. Berlin who has 3 employees will go first. They will shut down by June 30th. All 3 emplyees who are French, will transfer to the Roissy office. The London and Amstelveen offices will close simultaneously. The official date is set on October 31st, 2007. AFC Belgium will become AFC BeNeLux.
However all ongoing projects operated out of Holland will seize by July 31st and in a 1-month transitionary period we will be assisting AFC Belgium in taking over our work load. August 31st we say goodbye to AFC and 2 months later the company will dissappear off the papers completely in Holland.
Honestly, no one is completely distraught, as everyone are offered options within and outside the company. Let me break it down:
OPTION 1: Anyone who wishes to leave the company and continue to pursue something else will be offered a severance package which includes a lump some of money for the amount of years worked with AF and/or KLM, a bonus of € 5000,-, the sum of €2500,- in case you want to follow a course to increase your market value in the job market (you will have to show proof that you will be attending a course/study), full flight benefits for yourself and your family(IPB) ending December 2008, a glowing recommendation letter and if you desire payment to an outplacement bureau to find you adequate employment. After resigning from KLM Nederland (doing business as and representing Air France Consulting The Netherlands) and signing a letter of non-disclosure you are prohibited to work at certain aviation companies for 1 calender year.
OPTION 2: Those who wish to continue with AFC BeNeLux based in Brussels are welcome to do so and will receive €10.000,- relocation fee. This fee are for those who are willing to make the move to Belguim to live. If you decide to stay living in NL you will not receive this amount, but you will recieve a FIRST class train abbonement on NS International and if necessary your flight fees will be covered 100% (AMS-BRU). You will have resign from KLM Nederland and enter into employment with Air France (Belgique) S.A.. You will retain all of your years of service.
OPTION 3: Those wishing to continue within the AF-KLM Group will be placed in postions with similar or higher salaries. This can be in either Holland or France. You can make your preferance known. Each person will be given a maximum of 4 offers. If they refuse all 4, option 1 will apply and you will be required to leave the company.
OPTION 4: Outplacement in another company retaining some AF-KL benefits. AFC will place you in a company outside of the AF-KLM Group. You will receive a similar salary (or higher) from the comapny you work for. On paper you will resign from KLM Nederland. If the salary is less than you earn now, then KLM Nederland will supplement the difference for a period of 5 years. Reduced IPB benefits will be retained, so family will not be able to use such benefits. You are guaranteed at least a 5 year contract with said company. These are companies that do business with AF-KL. After the 5 year period, you either stay with the company and lose all AF-KL benefits or return to the AF-KLM Group. Or you can also continue to pursue your own endevours.
I sat down with the HR Manager today, because he wanted to see what my thoughts were. He wants me to go to AFC BeNeLux. I told him very clearly "hell-to-the-no". Those were exactly my words.
- I just bought an apartment in Rotterdam
- I am not moving to Belgium
- My family, partner and friends live in Holland
- I am not moving to Belgium
- I refuse to travel to Brussels everyday on the International Train, First Class ticket or not. NS is a crazy f*cked up company that gives me nothing more than stress and irritation.
- I am not moving to Belgium
- Fly between AMS-BRU everyday? Uhm, let me think... hmmm... HELL NO! Do I look like I'm crazy and f*cked up in the head? Who am I? Bokito?
- Belgium? Move? Me? Ha ha ha! Think again.
As much as I liked working at AFC, I wouldn't mind leaving. Air France nor KLM are my life. It's my job. Nothing more, nothing less. I told him to see what my options are within KLM Nederland or an outside company. Tomorrow I have another meeting to discuss my options.
Will keep everyone posted. I'm off to bed! It's 02.00!
Auf Wiedersehen!
posted by Traveller at 1:18 AM
2 Comments:
Lol @ Bokito.
Sterkte, Ryan
Wel Wel, dramaaaaaa
take option 3 Ryan...
Damn, but you guys didn't just move in to a new building some months ago???
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