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Union urges Barrhead Travel to avoid redundancies

The general secretary of the TSSA union, which represents travel agents across the country, has urged Barrhead Travel to avoid job cuts in its consultation.

Manuel Cortes appealed to the agency, which has 49 of its own shops and 46 managed service travel partners, which announced plans to ‘become leaner’ in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Barrhead Travel had been in the midst of the largest expansion drive in its history before the coronavirus outbreak.


MoreBarrhead Travel to begin reopening shops this month


It has furloughed staff and made cost cuts in other areas of the business up to now. The number of potential redundancies have not been confirmed.

The union called to be included in discussions and called on the Scottish Government, and Westminster, to “step up and save jobs.”

Cortes said: “I appeal to Barrhead Travel to work with us to save jobs and not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We need to come together with the Scottish Government to agree a plan for our travel trade which will not only prevent job losses at Barrhead but across the sector.

“High streets in Scotland are beginning to open and there will be a hunger to make holiday plans. I recognise how hard the coronavirus crisis has been for our travel trade and our members, right across Britain.

“However, we can all find a positive way forward if Holyrood is prepared to step up and save jobs – while setting a good example to ministers in London.”

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