Celebrities unite to slam British Airways over plans to axe 12,000 jobs and 'slash' pay

Stephen Fry and golfer Lee Westwood are among celebrities to slam British Airways over its plans to axe up to 12,000 jobs and “slash” workers’ pay and conditions.

Actresses Sadie Frost and Thandie Newton, who previously appeared in an in-flight video for the airline, plus former Love Island contestant Amy Hart also backed condemnation of BA.

Its owner, International Airlines Group, has been accused of using the coronavirus crisis to impose a long-held aim to wreck workers’ terms and conditions.

Unite said BA is to fire its entire 42,000 workforce and rehire those who survive on “totally new, lesser contracts of employment”.

Fry said: “It really does look as though British Airways’ board is using the pandemic as cover for some brutal behaviour.”

And Westwood added: “Surely the Government cannot allow this to happen?”

Hart, endorsing Unite’s “BA Betrayal” campaign, said: “Last year, each staff member generated £45,714 in pure profit.”

Mission Impossible star Newton used Twitter to share a link to an online petition against the cuts, which has now had more than 210,000 signatures.

Asked this week about the proposed redundancies while BA is using the Government’s furlough scheme, PM Boris Johnson said: “I’m aware of this issue and we’re actively looking at what can be done.”

The Mirror has been inundated with emails and messages from BA crew members after highlighting the issue.

One worker said their confidence and mental health had been “destroyed”.

Another said the impact had been “hellish”. She added: “This is pushing people over the edge...”

The Mirror revealed IAG is sitting on £8billion cash, has paid £3.6bn in dividends since 2015 and how its boss Willie Walsh has collected £33million in pay and perks since 2010.

Len McCluskey, of Unite, said: “There is growing public opinion against BA’s grotesque behaviour. BA is using this health crisis as cover to impose a long-term plan to slash jobs, pay and conditions. No other employer has threatened to effectively ‘fire and rehire’ its entire workforce.

“Over 40,000 loyal BA staff now face losing their livelihoods or being re-interviewed for their own jobs on vastly reduced terms and conditions.”

BA said it did not recognise the £45,714 claim. It said: “We are acting now to protect as many jobs as possible. The industry is facing the deepest structural change in its history...”