The Workers Party of Britain denounces Swissport’s plan to cut more than half its UK workforce, slashing 4,556 of its roughly 8,500 jobs and putting corporate profits over the livelihood of its employees.
When it comes to a choice between doing right by its workers and protecting the profits of shareholders, there is clearly no contest for the bosses.
Though Swissport is hardly a household name, its staff carry out key functions across most UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick. As well as baggage handling, staff are responsible for de-icing and refuelling planes and dealing with freight.
Airports and airlines would be hard-pressed to operate without the company’s services, putting a question mark over the viability of the many regional airports that are so vital to regional connectivity.
Swissport bosses are simply lying when they claim that job cuts are urgent right now to stop the company going bust, given that the government’s job retention furlough scheme remains in place.
We support Unite’s call for the government to urgently intervene with a bespoke financial package and an extension of the 80 percent furlough scheme for the aviation industry.
And if longer term it turns out that Swissport really is no longer able, on a market basis, to deliver services that are known to be vital to the national economy, then let the company be taken into public ownership without delay – along with the rest of the aviation industry.