LONDON
ASSEMBLY
LABOUR
Press office: 020 7983 4952
News release
27.05.2020
For immediate use
Local Assembly Member urges British Airways to reconsider plans to axe staff
British Airways must go back to the drawing board on its plans to lay-off thousands of staff, local London Assembly Member, Dr Sahota AM, has urged. He has written today to Willie Walsh, CEO of the International Airways Group (IAG), calling on him to work more closely with the airline’s workers and their trade union representatives to draw up a “constructive and fairer solution”.
Dr Sahota’s letter comes in the wake of the IAG’s announcement that it will impose a "restructuring and redundancy programme" until demand for air travel returns to 2019 levels, amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The IAG confirmed in a statement that this could include up to 12,000 job losses amongst British Airways employees. Recent reports have also suggested that there are plans for some staff, who have been laid off, to be rehired but at a significantly lower salary.
Dr Sahota argues that with the IAG reportedly having been able to award billions of pounds to its shareholders over recent years, there should be scope for these proposals to be reconsidered.
Local London Assembly Member, Dr Onkar Sahota AM, said:
“There is not getting away from the fact that the airline industry, like many other parts of our economy, is facing huge challenges amidst the fallout of the global pandemic.
“Despite these pressures, the proposals that have been put on the table by British Airways are plunging many of my constituents into deep uncertainty.
“Some of those affected in our community have given their lives to the airline. Let’s be clear: dangling the prospect of mass job losses and pay cuts over their heads is no way to repay their years of loyalty and service.
“I am therefore urging British Airways to go back to drawing board and closely engage with workers and with their trade union representatives with the aim of coming to a more constructive and a fairer solution”.
ENDS