Stressed Travel Agents Turn To Drugs, Says Union Offical

[HW Chris]

TRAVEL AGENTS are under such stress at work that many are on medication, according to the industry's leading trade union official.

Seyi Clement - former negotiations officer for the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - said many shop staff are taking prescribed drugs such as Prozac to get through the day. He said aggressive management and the over-use of disciplinary action are often to blame.

Lifting the lid on the shock state of the industry, Clement blasted: �The travel industry has more people on Prozac than any other - more than sectors where staff suffer physical attacks.

�There is more long-term depression and sickness in the trade than in construction, on the railways, in freight companies or the docks.�

Clement spoke out having left the TSSA after five years at the end of last month.

He claimed a staggering 60% of his time had been spent dealing with agents' problems, most of them attributable to stress.

Unpaid overtime had become �endemic�, he said, with staff expected to attend training in their own time, work through lunch and stay late.

He said as many as four out of five of those who quit leave the trade for good. Only one in five leavers go to another agency, he said, suggesting campaigns to woo back former employees are unlikely to work.

Clement was sympathetic to the difficulties companies face, citing the �huge pressure on margins�, but he blamed a lack of management training for the high stress levels and said there was no excuse for bosses being �aggressive and oppressive�.

Clement also admitted he was appalled how poorly agents are paid and accused companies of �taking advantage� of the dedication shown by staff.

From travelweekly.co.uk