Question reference: S5W-29569
- Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 2 June 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 June 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact in Scotland, to reports of an expected loss of 12,000 British Airways jobs, 40% wage reductions for employees kept on, and the pressuring of workers to sign new right-waiving contracts, in light of BA’s conglomerate company, ING, receiving multi-million pound support packages from the UK and Spanish governments.
Answer
Any need for job losses is disappointing. We fully recognise the impact that the Covid-19 situation is continuing to have on the aviation sector and anticipate it being at least five years before services are restored to pre-Covid-19 levels. While employment legislation is reserved to the UK Government, we continue to promote our Fair Work policy to improve workers’ rights and protections.
We are monitoring developments and stand ready to assist any Scottish based staff affected. I have written to Alex Cruz, Chief Executive of British Airways, to encourage him to work with us to support those staff facing redundancy. We will provide support through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE. Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work.
We are working with Scotland’s airports to re-establish connectivity to support business and the inbound tourism market, focusing first on the most important routes serving key markets.