The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Local aviation workers angered by job losses
Hundreds of Tayside and Fife families facing anxious financial future
Aviation workers in Tayside and Fife fear the industry risks being completely decimated amid claims they have been mistreated by airlines and let down by the UK Government.
Thousands of people say they have either been made redundant or pressured into taking unpaid leave as coronavirus wreaks havoc on airports like Dundee and Edinburgh and related firms in the supply chain.
With many families facing an uncertain financial future as a result, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath SNP MP Neale Hanvey has now called on the UK Government to support those affected by matching the support the Scottish Government has given to the sector, such as full rates relief to airports, ground handling service providers and Scottish regional airline, Loganair.
In a letter to the chancellor, Mr Hanvey has highlighted the alleged mistreatment his constituents had suffered at the hands of Ryanair, Easyjet, and the administrators of Flybe, the regional flight operator that was one of the first economic casualties of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The way my constituents have been treated by their employers and the lack of support from the UK Government is nothing short of a disgrace,” he explained.
“Many have been made redundant entirely unnecessarily at a time of national and global crisis.
“I have written to the UK Government, attended meetings with Edinburgh Airport and Unite the Union, and I am working with colleagues from all political parties to set up a Future of Aviation Group in parliament to support jobs in the aviation industry.
“While so many businesses have been brilliant throughout these difficult times, there is a recurring theme of aviation workers being mistreated by their employers.
“I’m calling on the UK Government to come up with a plan to return aviation to its vital place in the economy – safeguarding connectivity, protecting jobs and securing skills for the sector.
“Until that happens, I will keep fighting for my constituents by raising this issue at every possible opportunity.”
Revelations about the mistreatment of local people by their airline employers comes amid widespread condemnation of the behaviour of aviation chiefs, with British Airways’ Willie Walsh coming in for stern criticism from parliamentarians and unions. More than 31,000 BA staff are subject to “fire and rehire” or redundancy, despite the company in 2019 having £2.6 billion in cash reserves and deposits, and a further £5.8bn in shareholder equity.
The collapse of Flybe is also expected to have a significant impact on regional connectivity, and former staff feel aggrieved the UK Government allowed the airline to go into administration while others have subsequently received financial support from the state.
Easyjet, British Airways, Ryanair, and Wizz Air have all received support through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, and Mr Hanvey believes that support should be extended to others as part of a properly tailored rescue package.
Minister for Aviation, Kelly Tolhurst MP, has responded to Mr Hanvey’s concerns on behalf of the UK Government.
“The government recognises the importance of the aviation sector to the UK economy, and the chancellor has already announced a number of measures to support businesses, including HMRC’S Time to Pay helpline for concerns regarding tax liabilities, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and financial support for employees through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme,” she said.
“This scheme allows businesses to put workers on temporary leave, and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed. The scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to March 1.
“With that said it is still the government’s priority to assist those who have lost their jobs and cannot access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
“Jobcentre Plus’s Rapid Response Service is there to help workers get back into employment as soon as possible. The Department for Work and Pensions’ Rapid Response Service will continue to work with those affected. As well as this, the Insolvency Service will pay statutory redundancy pay to employees.
“I and my officials are in regular discussion with unions about the challenges faced by flight crews, and the department will continue to engage with the aviation sector to ensure that businesses and employees are supported through these testing times.”