UK airlines launch legal battle over Covid-19 quarantine ruling

Britain’s three biggest airlines have started legal proceedings against the government in a bid to overturn quarantine rules due to take effect in the UK from Monday.Britain’s three biggest airlines have started legal proceedings against the government in a bid to overturn quarantine rules due to take effect in the UK from Monday.
BA’s owner, IAG, along with Ryanair and EasyJet, have sent a pre-action protocol letter setting out why they believes the moves, which will force air passengers arriving from abroad to self-isolate for 14 days, are illogical and unfair.

Airlines and travel firms have protested in vain against the new Home Office-led regulations, which they have said come months late to stop the transmission of coronavirus and will kill off any nascent recovery in their industries.The airlines’ letter argues that the quarantine measures are more severe than those applied where the risks are greater, and impose greater restrictions on arrivals than on people infected with Covid-19. The airlines also object that enforcement of the regulations as published appears to apply only to England, and people arriving in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would not face the same penalties. The devolved administrations have yet to set out how they will police the rules.

The letter, the first step in an application for judicial review, was sent on Friday. A Ryanair spokesperson, commenting on behalf of the three airlines, said: “These measures are disproportionate and unfair on British citizens as well as international visitors arriving in the UK. We urge the government to remove this ineffective visitor quarantine which will have a devastating effect on UK’s tourism industry and will destroy even more thousands of jobs in this unprecedented crisis.”

The government has argued that the quarantine rules are science-based and would help limit the risk of a second wave as restrictions on movement are eased.The government has argued that the quarantine rules are science-based and would help limit the risk of a second wave as restrictions on movement are eased.

The Watercress Company in Dorset has overcome difficulties in obtaining seasonal workers as a result of the current pandemic. Seasonal employees from overseas have been unable to work with the company this year due to movement restrictions caused by coronavirus. The watercress grower has recruited a number of workers who had been furloughed or were self-employed. Tom Amery, managing director of The Watercress Company, said: “We realised quite early on in the lockdown that we were going to have issues with the harvest of watercress and our other salad crops if we didn’t quickly source the 25 staff members needed from other backgrounds.“For most it’s a complete change from their normal lives, we haven’t had to train a fresh group of recruits for years, but I think we are learning a lot from each other.

With the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) causing significant global disruption in 2020, the U.K. responded by announcing strict country-wide measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. After ordering pubs, bars, restaurants, theatres, gyms and leisure centres across the country to close indefinitely, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the public on March 23; outlining strict exercise and shopping limits, ordering all shops other than food stores and pharmacies to close, and implementing a ban on public gatherings of two or more people.With the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) causing significant global disruption in 2020, the U.K. responded by announcing strict country-wide measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

After ordering pubs, bars, restaurants, theatres, gyms and leisure centres across the country to close indefinitely, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the public on March 23; outlining strict exercise and shopping limits, ordering all shops other than food stores and pharmacies to close, and implementing a ban on public gatherings of two or more people.First Secretary of State Dominic Raab, while deputising for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovered from coronavirus (COVID-19), announced on April 16 that the U.K. lockdown would continue for at least another three weeks. On May 10, the government then released preliminary guidelines on how the country is to exit the lockdown while setting out plans for a tentative easing on social restrictions in the coming months. With many businesses continuing to feel the effects of the pandemic, the state is also delivering an unprecedented economic relief package estimated to cost over £400 billion.

As the U.K. lockdown begins to lift and the country tentatively reopens while following social distancing guidelines, we look at the situation around the country in pictures.As the U.K. lockdown begins to lift and the country tentatively reopens while following social distancing guidelines, we look at the situation around the country in pictures. (Pictured) Workers cut the crop of watercress in Waddock Cross, England on June 5. The Watercress Company in Dorset has overcome difficulties in obtaining seasonal workers as a result of the current pandemic; seasonal employees from overseas have been unable to work with the company this year due to movement restrictions caused by coronavirus (COVID-19). In response, the watercress grower has recruited a number of workers from other backgrounds who had been furloughed or were self-employed. 

The quarantine row comes amid further uproar over BA’s plans to sack about 12,000 staff and lower the terms and conditions of remaining employees.

The pilots union Balpa told members on Saturday the airline had increased the number of pilot redundancies it was seeking by another 125 to almost 1,300, more than a quarter of the workforce.The pilots union Balpa told members on Saturday the airline had increased the number of pilot redundancies it was seeking by another 125 to almost 1,300, more than a quarter of the workforce.It warned that BA had said it would “force changes by terminating the employment of all pilots and offering individuals new contracts with associated new terms and conditions” if they could not find agreement.

The airline appears to have made concessions on a possible voluntary redundancy scheme, which it initially ruled out, saying it would pay only the statutory minimum to longserving staff.
People sit amongst socially-distanced seating signs at Heathrow Airport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, May 10, 2020.  REUTERS/Toby Melville© Reuters People sit amongst socially-distanced seating signs at Heathrow Airport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, May 10, 2020. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleBA may also start furloughing senior pilots from the grounded A380 and 747 fleets, who had agreed to effectively halve their pay by taking unpaid leave at the start of the crisis to allow for a possible quick return to flying.

The flag carrier’s actions have been condemned by ministers and unions.

Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, which represents cabin crew, said: “BA and its owners IAG can afford to see out this crisis without such drastic cuts. This is a company with a lot of cash, strong assets and sustainable debt. The company controls some of the most profitable routes in the world and is backed by the Qatar royal family,” a 25% shareholder in IAG.
He pointed out that IAG was about to spend almost €1bn (£870m) on acquiring Air Europa, adding: “Workers in Britain are being sacrificed for the benefit of shareholders.” Reference: The Guardian Gwyn Topham 8 hrs ago June 5th 2020

Reference: The Guardian Gwyn Topham 8 hrs ago June %th 2020