{"id":21692,"date":"2020-06-03T11:46:32","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T10:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=21692"},"modified":"2020-06-03T15:16:42","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T14:16:42","slug":"celebrities-back-unites-british-airways-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=21692","title":{"rendered":"Celebrities back Unite’s British Airways campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When British Airways announced it would be sacking 12,000 of its workers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c despite being a wealthy company that can ride out the crisis and what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more, there being ample government support to prevent such job losses \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the nation looked on in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here was one of the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s premier airlines \u00e2\u20ac\u201c one that trades on the name of Britain and its pride of country \u00e2\u20ac\u201c betraying not only its workforce but all of us. When it was time for people and businesses to pull together and do their bit, British Airways failed in a big way and has used the current crisis as an excuse to cause needless suffering for tens of thousands of its loyal, hard-working staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the airline is not only refusing to reverse its decision on jobs losses but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s planning to sack and rehire  more than 40,000 more workers on new contracts that will see their pay cut  by an astonishing 70 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline is also refusing to negotiate with Unite. Later today (June 3), Parliament will debate job losses in the aviation industry after an Urgent Question was raised, with British Airways’ appalling behaviour set to be under the microscope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union has vowed to take a stand to protect its members and so has launched a new campaign to pressure British Airways to do the right thing. The campaign, launched in May, is already making big waves publicly, including gaining the endorsement of many celebrities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esteemed comedian, actor and writer Stephen Fry was among the first to chime in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been asked to post this: I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know every detail but it really does look as though British Airways\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 board is using the pandemic as cover for some brutal behaviour\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 https:\/\/t.co\/iUENeu977i<\/a><\/p>\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) May 26, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>