Heathrow airport said it has been in consultation with staff
unions for four months and is now tabling a final offer of pay cuts for
thousands of workers in an effort to avoid job losses.
According to the BBC, the airport is seeking pay cuts of 15
to 20 per cent for about half of the 4,700 employees in engineering, airside
operations and security. It claims job cuts could become necessary if an
agreement is not reached.
In a statement, a Heathrow spokesperson said the Covid-19
crisis had cost the airport more than £1 billion since the start of March and
that provisional passenger numbers for August remained 82 per cent down on last
year.
“Discussions with our unions have taken place over four months
and our final offer is informed by feedback we have received from them,” the
spokesperson said. “But with air travel showing little sign of recovery, these discussions
cannot go on indefinitely and we must act now to prevent our situation from
worsening.”
The airport said its offer “guarantees a job at the airport
for anyone who wishes to stay with our business”.
The Unite union claimed last month that Heathrow was seeking
to cut pay by 24 per cent for some workers, place them on new contracts with
worse conditions and to close the company pension scheme.
Regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: “Unite is
currently balloting its members on the proposals [but] Heathrow Airport Limited’s
actions demonstrate that it is not prepared to allow democracy to run its
course.
“At a time when Unite is working hard to persuade the
government to follow the lead of other European nations and provide specific
financial support to the aviation sector to ensure that the industry and
workers can survive the pandemic and thrive in the future, these actions are
distinctly unhelpful.”
The latest news from Heathrow comes as aviation bosses
continue to plea with the UK government to implement a coronavirus testing
regime at airports to replace current quarantine measures and help kickstart
the economy through international travel. The sector is facing huge job losses
as a result of low passenger demand brought on by the pandemic and the uncertainty
of ever-changing travel restrictions, particularly as the winter flying season
looms and with the end of the UK’s furlough scheme approaching at the end of
October.
Heathrow airport has set up a Covid-19 testing site that is "ready to use" should the government decide to run a trial.