British Airways announces 12,000 redundancies
On 28th April, British Airways announced that it would be making 12,000 workers redundant. It also announced that it would be significantly downgrading the terms and conditions for all remaining staff. International Airlines Group (IAG) stated it would be making these changes due to its revenue falling during the coronavirus pandemic.
Over 150 constituents who are affected by these changes have written to Munira, worried about the future of their jobs. They have expressed concerns that due to the timing and nature of these announcements, BA is acting unfairly.
Munira stands up for her constituents
On 5th May, Munira wrote to the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps MP, urging him to bring pressure to bear on British Airways for the lack of corporate responsibility they have demonstrated.
The letter is below:
For other actions Munira has taken to stand up for her constituents against BA’s actions, see here and here.
Minister’s response
Kelly Tolhurst, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security, has responded to Munira’s letter. Her response is below:
Munira said:
“This response is totally inadequate at addressing the lack of corporate responsibility BA has demonstrated towards its employees. In no way is this reassuring for my constituents, who are worried about their job security and livelihoods.
The Minister has said they “hope” British Airways considers redundancies “sensitively”. Hoping is simply not enough. Action is needed to hold BA to account. It must not be allowed to exploit the pandemic to impose its long-held ambitions to strip its workforce of their Terms & Conditions.
I will continue to demand the Government does not let BA get away with its proposed actions. The Government remaining silent on this issue is unacceptable.”