Scottish airport jobs at risk as union launches campaign to save workers

Trade union Unite have warned that 1,500 workers are at risk of redundancy

A campaign to protect jobs linked to Scottish airports has been launched by Unite Scotland.

The trade union has warned 1,500 workers are at risk of redundancy from airlines and companies operating at Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports.

Scottish airport workers are disproportionately affected by planned job losses, the union has argued, while some face their earnings being cut by up to 45% by airlines firing and rehiring staff on poorer pay and conditions.

The campaign is demanding the furlough scheme for the industry is extended beyond the UK Government's end date of October 31, as well as an end to the "fire and rehire" proposals for Scottish airport workers.

It also wants any government support, investment or tax relief to come with conditions to protect jobs, wages and terms of employment, in line with the Scottish Government's fair work principles.

Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said: "The launch of the Save Scotland's Airports campaign by Unite is vitally important in concentrating the minds of the Scottish and UK Governments on the immense pressure the civil aviation industry is under.

"The scale of the challenge is massive and that's why we need all politicians to support our campaign demands, which focus on the condition of protecting jobs and the terms and conditions of workers associated with any company receiving government support.

"We also need strong support from politicians and the public to ensure that any civil aviation company like British Airways and Menzies Aviation stop and reverse the brutal attacks on jobs and the terms and conditions of the workforce under fire and rehire practices, which could potentially affect take-home pay, we believe, by up to 45%."

The campaign follows a warning from the union that the aerospace engineering and civil aviation industries in Scotland "could both be on the brink of terminal decline" without additional support packages from the UK and Scottish Governments.

Unite Scotland released the findings of a study by the University of Strathclyde's Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI), which suggested almost 5,000 Scottish jobs may be at risk because of proposed redundancies in the two sectors.

The FAI report found the planned job losses - from companies including Rolls Royce, GE Caledonian, Spirit Aerosystems and Wyman Gordon - could also inflict a £325 million blow to the Scottish economy, with the ultimate loss of 2,530 staff.

Reporting by PA

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