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Union voices Gatwick ‘ghost town’ fears ahead of aviation debate

Gatwick faces becoming a “ghost town” with 6,000 job losses and more likely as Covid-19 devastates the aviation sector.

The warning came from the Unite union based on new analysis of the impact on the airport’s workforce and the knock-on effect on the surrounding area.

The union fears the airport and its communities will continue to suffer without urgent government support.

In addition to redundancies, Unite says it has been contending with attacks on workers’ pay and conditions with many seeing working hours cut, pay rates reduced, or being forced onto zero hours-style contracts.

The union also warned that a Department for Transport recovery plan to be published this autumn for the aviation sector running until 2025 is set to be “too little, too late”.

The analysis of the job losses at Gatwick comes on the eve of a parliamentary debate on the aviation sector tomorrow (Thursday).

Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: “Prior to the pandemic Gatwick was a thriving community but unless the government provides direct support the airport faces becoming a ghost town.

“The huge job losses are now causing a domino effect with non-aviation employers in Crawley and the surrounding area being affected, which is likely to lead to further job losses.

“Even where work has been preserved many employers have cut hours or rates of pay creating further misery.

“Responsible employers have introduced temporary measures while the unscrupulous have made such cuts permanent, in the expectation this will boost profits when the industry recovers.

“If the government does not provide long-promised financial support to the sector further job losses are inevitable.”

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