The British Airways Pilots Association has announced a plan to reduce, temporarily, their salaries by 20% to reduce layoffs so that it would only include 270 of them.
The union members approved by 85% of this plan at a time when the air transport sector is collapsing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to eliminating 270 jobs, the plan provides for a 20% cut in salaries for two years before returning to where they were in the long run.
“Our members made a pragmatic decision out of circumstances, but we failed to persuade British Airways to avoid any arbitrary layoffs, which was a major disappointment”, said the Secretary-General of the Pilots Syndicate.
The company hires about 4.300 pilots, and it first intended to lay off 1255 of them, as well as to layoff and then re-employ others on minimum conditions.
The company, which is affiliated with the “IAG” group, warned at the end of April that it intends to dismiss 12.000 people, who constitute a quarter of its employees.
A spokesperson for the company said, “It is a very difficult circumstance for everyone at British Airways, and we are grateful to the union and our teams for what they have accomplished to reach this agreement and save hundreds of jobs”.
#International #UK #IAG #BritishAirways #LayOffs #COVID19
English 
العربية