EasyJet staff to protest at Stansted, Newcastle and Southend airports
EasyJet staff are to stage protests at Stansted, Newcastle and Southend airports this week after the airline announced plans to close all three bases and shed 1,290 cabin crew.
The demonstrations will take place at 10.30 am in Newcastle on Wednesday, at Southend airport on Thursday and at Stansted on Friday.
Unite, the union representing easyJet’s cabin crew, said some 3,000 members have voted almost unanimously in favour of a vote of no confidence in easyJet’s chief operating officer Peter Bellew.
They are angry that the airline is making staff redundant after paying £174 million in dividends to shareholders at the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
They also point out that easyJet has benefited from a government loan of £600 million.
Unite also accused Mr Bellew, who left Ryanair at the end of last year to join easyJet, of misjudging the Covid-19 crisis, which he allegedly dismissed at the start as ‘hype’ while encouraging ‘business as usual’.
Unite was further angered when Mr Bellew later tried to bypass the trade unions to put ‘coronavirus co-operation agreements’ directly to staff, who rejected them.
Unite regional officer Lindsey Olliver said: "Since Mr Bellew’s arrival at easyJet our members have become increasingly concerned by his actions. They genuinely fear for the longevity and reputation of easyJet with Mr Bellew in his current position.
"During the pandemic easyJet has made liberal use of taxpayer funded support through the job retention scheme and a £600m loan as well as paying £174m in shareholder dividends. These redundancies will cause misery, add to the economic upheaval the country is experiencing and hurt regional connectivity.
"EasyJet must halt these closures and redundancies but the government also has its part to play. It is absolutely essential that the job retention scheme is extended for the aviation sector, which has been one of the industries worst hit by the pandemic.
"The government’s ongoing failure to provide such sector specific support is resulting in huge job losses throughout the industry and is threatening the viability of airlines and airports alike. It is directly responsible for encouraging airlines to make drastic cuts as a permanent solution to a temporary problem."
By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025