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BA expected to suspend 36,000 staff | BA expected to suspend 36,000 staff |
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British Airways is expected to announce it will suspend around 36,000 staff. | British Airways is expected to announce it will suspend around 36,000 staff. |
The airline, which grounded much of its fleet due to the coronavirus crisis, has been negotiating with the Unite union for more than a week. | The airline, which grounded much of its fleet due to the coronavirus crisis, has been negotiating with the Unite union for more than a week. |
The two sides have reached a broad deal but are yet to sign on some details. | The two sides have reached a broad deal but are yet to sign on some details. |
The agreement means that up to 80% of BA cabin crew, ground staff, engineers and those working at head office will have their jobs suspended but no staff are expected to be made redundant. | The agreement means that up to 80% of BA cabin crew, ground staff, engineers and those working at head office will have their jobs suspended but no staff are expected to be made redundant. |
The decision will affect all staff at Gatwick and London City Airport after the airline suspended its operations at both locations until the crisis is over. | The decision will affect all staff at Gatwick and London City Airport after the airline suspended its operations at both locations until the crisis is over. |
Those affected are expected to receive some of their wages through the government's coronavirus job retention scheme, which covers 80% of someone's salary capped at a maximum of £2,500 a month. | Those affected are expected to receive some of their wages through the government's coronavirus job retention scheme, which covers 80% of someone's salary capped at a maximum of £2,500 a month. |
It is thought that the Unite union has been pushing for staff to be paid more than that. BA has already reached a separate deal with its pilots who will take a 50% pay cut over two months. | |
BA's parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), is in a better financial position than some of its competitors. The group has made healthy profits in recent years. | |
But the airline's expected decision to suspend such a large number of workers gives a sense of how hard UK aviation has been hit by travel restrictions, designed to stem the spread of the pandemic. | But the airline's expected decision to suspend such a large number of workers gives a sense of how hard UK aviation has been hit by travel restrictions, designed to stem the spread of the pandemic. |
With future bookings cancelled for the foreseeable future, airlines have been haemorrhaging cash. | With future bookings cancelled for the foreseeable future, airlines have been haemorrhaging cash. |
Over the next three months, the International Air Transport Association expects airlines to rack up losses of almost $40bn (£32.3bn). It said carriers were burning through their cash reserves fast, mainly because of the multi-billion-pound cost of refunding tickets for cancelled flights. | Over the next three months, the International Air Transport Association expects airlines to rack up losses of almost $40bn (£32.3bn). It said carriers were burning through their cash reserves fast, mainly because of the multi-billion-pound cost of refunding tickets for cancelled flights. |
Many staff at Virgin Atlantic have had their jobs suspended for two months and crews at Easyjet are out of work for three months. | Many staff at Virgin Atlantic have had their jobs suspended for two months and crews at Easyjet are out of work for three months. |
This week, British Airways has run government repatriation flights to get hundreds of British nationals home from Peru, after the country went into lockdown. | |
It is one of several UK-based airlines that has agreed to run further repatriation flights in the coming weeks as hundreds of thousands of people are still stuck in other parts of the world. |