Unions condemn harrassment of airport worker in Jeremy Clarkson row
International unions have condemned the ‘appalling’ media harrassment of an airport worker who was accused of a ‘hate crime’ by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.
Clarkson made the accusations against the Argentinian check-in clerk at Stuttgart Airport when he prevented him and his co-hosts, James May and Richard Hammond, from boarding a British Airways’ flight to Heathrow.
The trio were returning to the UK after filming their new programme, The Grand Tour.
Clarkson accused the check-in clerk of telling his colleagues that the three were too drunk to fly, and was quoted in the Sun newspaper as saying: "He’s a stupid, bitter and twisted little man. [He] made us miss our plane and he will pay for it. The police said it was a hate crime and he would be arrested. Yes, even the Germans were 100 per cent on our side — for once."
Today, the global union the ITF and German union ver.di said the check-in agent, Manuel Pereira, was now being harrassed by the press.
"Since Jeremy Clarkson made his extraordinary allegations Manuel Pereira has been constantly harassed by the press. He is being photographed and hounded at work. Mr Pereira does not have a TV series to promote; he just wants to get on with his job quietly and efficiently – as he was doing when he had to inform Mr Clarkson that he was too late to catch his flight," the unions said in a statement.
"On behalf of Mr Pereira, we would ask the press to act responsibly and cease this unjust harassment. The airport has investigated and established that this was a clear cut case of an airport worker having to refuse boarding to passengers who had arrived late from the lounge, where they had missed the urgent reminders. If the press have any questions I suggest they put them to Jeremy Clarkson."
ITF president Paddy Crumlin added: "Around the world aviation workers are labouring to get aircraft in the air and passengers where they want to be, safely and punctually. That sometimes means turning away someone who has, due to their own actions, arrived too late. That is what Manuel Pereira did. Both the airport and the local police have confirmed this.
"In response Jeremy Clarkson unleashed a torrent of unbelievable abuse and now disproven allegations. We now learn that Mr Pereira, the innocent party in this rather sordid little affair, is being constantly hounded by some journalists. That has to stop now."
The ITF represents 683,799 aviation workers in 246 unions in 111 countries.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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