TRAVEL JOBS AND CITY SHOP SAVED
Reprieve for exThomas Cook branch
Stirling’s axed Thomas Cook branch is to reopen under the Hays Travel banner and former staff will be invited back to work there, the Observer can reveal.
Nine employees of the Murray Place branch were devastated when – without prior notice – they lost their jobs following the travel giant’s collapse last month.
Now the staff, who had up to 45 years’ service with the collapsed company, have been thrown a lifeline by Sunderland-based travel firm Hays who last week agreed a deal to purchase more than 500 former Thomas Cook stores.
A spokesperson for Hays this week told the Observer plans were being made to open the Stirling shop as a Hays Travel outlet and that former Thomas Cook workers would be invited back.
No date was given for the re-opening of the store.
The news comes just days after the ex-Thomas Cook workers volunteered their time to help customers through the application process to claim their refunds for cancelled holidays
The Observer reported last week how the deal agreed by Hays Travel was expected to save around 2500 jobs across the UK.
Hays Travel founder John
Hays said: “Our staff were devastated to hear about Thomas Cook and we all immediately felt we wanted to help.
“In the last two weeks we have already employed or offered jobs to around 600 former Thomas Cook colleagues, and it has been a very emotional experience for them.
“Now that we are able to re-open the shops, we are looking forward to welcoming into our family business many more people who share our passion for the travel industry.
“I’m very proud of the fantastic team who have helped me build Hays Travel over almost 40 years and they have worked tirelessly over the last couple of weeks to bring this about. It’s a game-changer for us, almost trebling the number of shops we have and doubling our workforce – and for the industry, which will get to keep some of its most talented people.”
The move will be a boost to Stirling’s city centre trade. GoForth Stirling manager, Mags Fenner, welcomed the news, saying:““The collapse of Thomas Cook was shocking, and the consequent closure of the Stirling branch was a blow to our city centre. The news that Hays are going to re-open the shop is very welcome indeed. As the largest independent travel agent in the United Kingdom, Hays bring with them a wealth of experience. We’re looking forward to welcoming them to Stirling and joining the business community here.”
The collapse of Thomas Cook saw an estimated 140,000 holidaymakers stranded abroad and sparked the largest ever peacetime repatriation.
Refund claims forms for customers affected by the liquidation are available on the CAA’s dedicated Thomas Cook website – thomascook. caa.co.uk/refunds. That will be used to refund more than 360,000 bookings for Thomas Cook ATOL-protected holidays, covering trips that would have been taken by around 800,000 people.