One in ten workers in airport towns like Crawley will lose their jobs when furlough ends, Labour says
ONE in ten workers in airport towns like Crawley will lose their jobs when furlough ends, according to Labour.
The Sussex town, which is home to Gatwick will see a massive spike in unemployment according to Labour as the airline industry reels from the pandemic.
Over 60,000 jobs have already gone from airports in the UK, with many more to come according to Labour’s Shadow Transport man, Jim McMahon, who branded the lack of support a “source of shame”.
Unions say 6,000 jobs have been lost at Gatwick alone since the start of the pandemic and that does not include retail jobs which have also been slashed at the airport.
The airport employs 21,000 directly, with another 10,000 hired indirectly thanks to the hub.
Labour say the workers face a “cliff edge” when the furlough scheme ends at the end of the month.
A bespoke package of support from the Treasury has yet to materialise, according to the opposition.
Crawley is now in the top 10 places with the highest share of people claiming unemployment related benefits.
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The home of Gatwick airport has seen the largest increase in the claimant count since March, with 5.5 per cent increase in dole handouts.
Jim McMahon said: “It should be a source of shame for ministers that they have allowed thousands of jobs to be lost in the aviation sector across the country when they promised support – particularly when so many are now staring down the barrel of Boris Johnson’s tax hikes and cuts to Universal Credit.
“Empty words, long delays and broken promises are the default setting for this Government – with working people paying the price over and over again.
“Labour has consistently called for a sectoral deal that supports the whole aviation industry including securing jobs and protecting the supply chain, while continuing to press for higher environmental standards.”
It comes as ministers came under press to scrap hotel quarantine after Ireland ditched the policy.
The Department for Transport is understood to back the move which would end the requirement for travellers from red list countries to self-isolate in Government-approved hotels at a cost of up to £2,285 per person.