COVID-19: Major airlines received billions in govt support yet cut jobs, ITF laments. 

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has lamented unprecedented job cut by aviation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the world

The international Workers’ Union said that during the global pandemic, major airlines received billions in government support but instead of supporting workers, many airlines cut jobs, weakened labour contracts and created low-cost subsidiaries which forced people out of secure jobs.

ITF added that the travel chaos experienced at airports around the world today, stemmed from direct result of their poor decisions.

Speaking on the development, the General Secretary of ITF, Stephen Cotton said that the airlines globally used the pandemic as a pretext to initiate layoffs, weaken labour contracts and create low-cost subsidiaries

“The aviation industry is now reaping the decisions made to protect profits over people during the pandemic. While the workers on the front line are appeasing upset travellers and sorting through mountains of luggage, the heads of airlines, airports and companies across the delivery chain need to work with governments and unions to rectify the root causes of this travel crisis.”

“Without strong coordination across the industry, that looks at the current crisis, alongside the long-term sustainability of aviation, the industry will move from crisis to crisis. We call on all industry players to stop the finger pointing that we’ve seen over the past few months, and instead focus on the structural transformation needed to make the aviation industry economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.”