Union demands inquiry into ex-government’s handling of Thomas Cook collapse

A UNION are calling for a new inquiry into the previous government’s handling of the collapse of Thomas Cook. The holiday company went bust resulting in the largest peacetime repatriation of Brits. But a study from Unite suggests the most of its former employees are still out of work – with only a fifth in […]

A UNION are calling for a new inquiry into the previous government’s handling of the collapse of Thomas Cook.

The holiday company went bust resulting in the largest peacetime repatriation of Brits.

Alamy

But a study from Unite suggests the most of its former employees are still out of work – with only a fifth in new jobs over three months after the firm’s collapse.

Unite said the government had “failed” the former workers and are calling for the Transport Select Committee look into how the Department for Transport handled the inquiry.

The union said most former Thomas Cook employees had made cutbacks over Christmas with many of those who have found another job are earning less or on worse contracts.

Unite argued that thousands of jobs could have been saved if the airline side of the company had been helped to keep in business.

Unite’s assistant general secretary Diana Holland said workers had been “failed” by the previous Conservative government.

She said: ”A profitable airline was allowed to collapse into liquidation and then the workers who have paid taxes all their working lives have had to deal with the complex procedures to get what they are owed and have even been blocked from claiming the benefits they are entitled to.

“Even the minority of workers who have secured permanent full-time work are being paid far less than previously, and working hours that don’t fit as well with their family lives.

“It is vital there is a full investigation into the Department for Transport’s role in the company’s collapse.”

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