TSSA warns travel trade jobs at risk as furlough ends on Thursday

TSSA has warned that workers in the travel trade face redundancies and a “bonfire” of terms and conditions as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme comes to an end today (Thursday).

The union, which represents workers in Eurostar, and travel trade companies is calling on the government to extend a bespoke package of support to the industry which is still severely impacted by the covid-19 pandemic.

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said, “The end of furlough is going to spell disaster for workers in the travel trade. Travel companies have struggled through two summers of restrictions on travel, whilst the government has ignored our calls for extra assistance. Now, everyone in travel trade will be paying for the lack of support from government.

“Eurostar, and their ancillary industries, are particularly badly hit, as disgracefully the government has refused to give them the same bailout they gave to other train companies in Britain. Tory promises to “Build Back Greener” ain’t worth the paper they’re written on when they’re doing nothing to support Britain’s only green link to Europe.

“Sadly, faced with a steep increase in wage bills from October 1^st, and no return to normal, travel companies will make savings to staffing costs in other ways just to save their business. This will inevitably mean redundancies in the run-up to Christmas, whilst other workers will be forced to pay for saving their jobs by accepting cuts to their hours, and a bonfire of their terms and conditions. All because the Tory government is stubbornly refusing to support the industry hit worst by the pandemic.

“This really is the last chance for the travel trade. The Tory government needs to seriously reconsider their position on the travel trade, get around the table with the industry and unions and come up with a support package before we see more major employers go the way of Thomas Cook.”