A powerful committee in Parliament has called the way British Airways treats its employees a “national disgrace.”
The Transport Select Committee, a House of Commons committee tasked with overseeing administration and policy for the Department of Transport, condemned British Airways’ “fire and hire” plan as premature and vindictive. A committee report stated:
“The behavior of British Airways and its parent company towards its employees is a national disgrace. It falls well below the standards we would expect from any employer, especially in light of the scale of taxpayer subsidy, at this time of national crisis.”
Huw Merriman, the Chair of the committee and member of the Conservative Party, spared no words:
“The impact of coronavirus may sadly mean that the loss of some jobs in the aviation sector is justified. The behavior of British Airways and its parent company, IAG, is not.”
This “unjustified” behavior will result in sanction, including the potential loss of Heathrow slots. Merriman added:
“We will continue to bring pressure where we can, including the airport slot allocation process. This wanton destruction of a loyal workforce cannot appear to go without sanction by government, parliamentarians or paying passengers, who may choose differently in future. We view it as a national disgrace.”
> Read More: Will UK Confiscate Heathrow Slots From British Airways?
The Transport Select Committee believes British Airways has engaged in a “calculated attempt to take advantage” of the pandemic via a disproportionate response. BA has been urged to avoid draconian layoffs until a clearer picture of travel demand emerges in the months to come.
British Airways Still Defends Conduct
Even after this parliamentary attack, British Airways continues to defend itself. It told BBC:
“We find ourselves in the deepest crisis ever faced by the airline industry – a crisis not of our making but one which we must address.
“We will do everything in our power to ensure that British Airways can survive and sustain the maximum number of jobs consistent with the new reality of a changed airline industry in a severely weakened global economy.”
Translation: p*ss off.
CONCLUSION
British Airways continues to come under negative scrutiny by members of Parliament for its tough labor tactics. Now the question is whether MPs are simply grandstanding or whether they can actually cause any change in behavior on the part of British Airways.
image: British Airways
It’s sad that parliament will denounce airline management for pay policy but stand by while British Citizens are arrested and imprisoned for speech. Making factual statements about crime and perpetrators of crime can get you locked up in prison. But British politicians are more worried about flight attendant pay.