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Grant Shapps has rejected calls to bring in ‘cheap’ foreign workers to relieve the chaos at UK airports following another day of ‘absolute carnage’ at Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol and Luton.
The Transport Secretary has also accused airport bosses of failing to heed warnings from ministers that demand for travel would surge following the lifting of Covid restrictions, adding that staffing cuts had also gone ‘too far’.
It came as passengers this morning described delays at Gatwick and Birmingham as an ‘absolute shambles’ as families returned home from half term holidays.
There were also reports of passengers becoming ‘stuck’ on a plane at Manchester, a power cut at Luton and scenes of ‘carnage’ in Bristol.
And millions returning to work following the Platinum Jubilee weekend on Monday have been advised not to travel into London as thousands of RMT members prepare for a 24-hour walkout. Transport for London (TfL) today it expects severe disruption across the network.
Appearing on BBC’s Sunday Morning, Mr Shapps said he will ‘do absolutely everything possible to make sure’ Britons can travel without issues during the summer, but stopped short of allowing a temporary migration influx to bridge the labour shortage.Â
He said: ‘The answer can’t always be to reach for the lever marked, ‘More immigration’.
‘In fact, in Europe they have got exactly the same problems. If you look at the problems they are having in Amsterdam this weekend, there are problems across Europe. There is not some pull that is going to relieve this.’Â
The Cabinet minister also rejected demands for the Government to copy action it took last year when it allowed more foreign lorry drivers to work in the UK amid a shortage of HGV hauliers.Â
Huge queues at Manchester Airport at 3.30am, where passengers reported waiting more than two hours for baggage reclaim
Passengers at Gatwick airport were pictured sprawled across the floor as they waited to collect their bags following a flight on Sunday morning
Huge queues were also pictured at London’s Heathrow Airport as chaos continues to plague Britain’s transport hubs
Suitcases left unattended at Manchester Airport on Sunday morning amid staffing shortages at the hub
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called on airport bosses to ‘sort it out’ as he claimed they failed to heed warnings from ministers about post-Covid travel demand
Following a meeting with airports, airlines and ground handling companies last week, he said he had answered demands to speed up security checks for new employees and allow some staff in non-security related jobs to take up training immediately.
But he also called on airport bosses to ‘sort it out’ as he accused them of failing to heed earlier warnings from ministers regarding post-Covid demand for travel.Â
The Transport Secretary continued: ‘The airports and the airlines, the travel industry, need to make sure we sort it out.
‘We met with them earlier in the year, they asked us to speed up some of the processes, for example in getting people through the security clearance if they are working behind the scenes at the airport, and I’ve made a change in the law to make that easier and faster.
‘Now we need the industry itself to deliver. It is very important that flights aren’t oversold, for example, and I want to make sure there is automatic compensation for passengers.
‘We’ll work with the industry very hard between now and the summer to make sure we don’t see a repeat of those scenes.
‘Clearly, they have been taken by surprise by the way people have returned to travel after two years of being locked down but I’m not surprised – we were saying all along: You will need to be ready for this.’Â
The Transport Secretary also played down the prospect of Britain’s Armed Forces being drafted in to relieve the problems.
‘The Army is not a snap solution to every problem,’ he added.
‘Secondly they are being deployed in increasing numbers to eastern Europe, to the Baltics, in what is a war situation and that’s what the Army are principally there for.
‘The airports and airlines will need to sort out this problem. The Government will give them every support, but I don’t anticipate that will include calling in the Army.’
Mr Shapps stressed the aviation industry was a ‘private sector industry’ as he put pressure on airlines and airports to solve the issues themselves.
However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said ministers should allow European workers who were employed in the aviation industry before Brexit and Covid to return in order to plug the labour shortage in the sector.
Also appearing on the BBC’s Sunday Morning, he said: ‘The Government should recognise there are shortages in the occupation, of those who work in aviation.
‘That means opening up these jobs to those from the European Union who were doing these jobs before.
‘Because what we don’t want is a spring misery turned into a summer misery. Many families who have saved, who have paid for a holiday and are looking forward to a holiday are going to be let down.’
He added: ‘What you can do very easily is make sure those who were in those jobs before, who have gone back to their country of origin, from the EU, are encouraged to come back.
‘This is self-inflicted from the Government. Listen, it isn’t about Covid, this is about Brexit plus Covid.’Â
Crowds of passengers wait in the baggage reclaim hall at Gatwick Airport on Sunday morning
Pictures emerged this morning of holidaymakers sprawled across the floors of Gatwick amid reports of two-hour delays to reclaim bags
Travel delays have plagued passengers at UK airports for weeks, with one holidaymaker describing being ‘stuck’ on a plane after landing at Manchester Airport in the early hours of this morning.
Tweeting a picture of the crowded flight, they said: ‘After a 4.5 hour flight with no leg room and limited refreshments. We’re now stuck on the plane at Manchester Airport. Absolutely boiling.’
Another passenger at Manchester said: ‘Sprawled out on the floor at Manchester Airport. Over a 2 hour wait for baggage. Utter carnage again!’
A third added: ‘Manchester Airport needs to sort themselves out. Much of the baggage reclaim is for ‘lost’ luggage and actual baggage retrieval is taking an hour plus.’
Manchester Airport has experienced chaotic scenes all week – with figures revealing 332,000 passengers were booked to fly through the travel-hub over this Jubilee weekend.
It was a similar story at Gatwick overnight, with more pictures emerging of passengers sprawled across the airport’s floor amid baggage reclaim delays.
One said: ‘Super delayed on flight back from hols. Kids did well given nearly 4 hrs late landing on the 21:15 from Rhodes. Due to land at 23:25 – compensation claim pending.’
Another added: ‘You should be absolutely ashamed !!! 03:45 in the morning – 3rd rate, 3rd world.’
Bristol was also hit with baggage and flight delays as hundreds of passengers waited in arrivals halls and queues stretching outside the airport’s terminal.
Sharing pictures of the chaos, one passenger said: ‘We have been in the check in queue since 4:15 so a hour and a half so far and still not checked in.Â
‘Why allow so many flights to leave so close together? This is ridiculous, I guess the only positive is our whole flight is still to check in!’
And a second said: ‘It’s 1am. Our flight should have landed 3 hours ago and now there’s no sign of our bags. Well played Bristol Airport.’
Holidaymakers also faced a nightmare at Luton Airport as a power cut left flights grounded.
And thousands of passengers will be prevented from booking flights out of Heathrow until at least next month in a bid to tackle overcrowding and cancellations, The Times reports.
The airport has told airlines to axe passenger numbers by a third at certain times of day until at least July 3.Â
Shocking scenes from around the country in recent weeks have shown holidaymakers stuck in huge queues with some forced to sleep on the floor of airports amid long delays.
Industry chiefs have pointed the finger at mass layoffs during the pandemic which saw staff let go because of the collapse in demand for travel during the various lockdowns.Â
Passengers at airports across the UK have taken to social media to vent their frustration at delays
Airlines are now struggling to rehire workers previously let go, leading to a shortage of security staff, ground handlers and check-in staff.
There had been hopes that bosses at Manchester Airport were getting to grips with the staffing crisis which resulted in security queues and disruption earlier in the year. Â
However, the scenes emerging from its terminals over recent days have raised questions around how well the hub and its partners are weathering the storm as they emerge from the pandemic.Â
Reports include queues which extend into car parks, missing baggage spotted from 1,300 miles away, police rescues after flights failed to take off and even food shortages for those passengers actually able to board their flights.Â
Last month, Charlie Cornish, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) boss, issued a candid apology, admitting that the staffing crisis – caused by mass redundancies during the pandemic then a sudden surge in passengers when restrictions were lifted – meant service was suffering.Â
Many of the workers who left the hub have now found other jobs.Â
The boss of Ryanair yesterday suggested calling in the military to solve the long queues.
The airline’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has also advised passengers to travel mid-week to avoid difficulties, stick to ‘hand luggage only’ and to buy socks and other small items when on holiday.
Passengers urged to avoid travelling into London tomorrow as thousands of Tube workers prepare for crippling strike
Millions of commuters returning to work following the Platinum Jubilee celebrations have been urged not to travel into London tomorrow as thousands of Tube workers prepare for a 24-hour walkout.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will strike in a dispute over jobs and pensions – crippling Underground services across the capital.
Many stations, especially those in central and south London, will be closed, while stations that can be opened may only operate for limited periods.Â
Other TfL services, including DLR, London Overground and Trams, are not affected by the industrial action and will be running, but will be busier
TfL says no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out
As part of previous funding agreements, the Government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023.
TfL has proposed not recruiting into around 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant.
Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: ‘I’d like to apologise to London for the impact this strike will have on journeys tomorrow and on Tuesday morning.
‘We know it’s going to be damaging to London and the economy at a time when public transport is playing a crucial role in the capital’s recovery.
‘While our focus is always on helping everyone travel around London whenever they want, the expected impact of the RMT’s action means we have to advise people to only travel tomorrow if necessary, as many stations may be closed.’
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has already warned that the protests, which threaten to bring a summer of travel chaos beyond the UK’s airports, could last a ‘very, very long time’.
It is resisting government plans to shave £2billion off the rail budget by modernising the industry with new technology and wants pay rises for workers in line with inflation.Â
Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: ‘We are extremely disappointed that the RMT has called for a mass walkout by TfL workers in such close proximity to the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend when London will be full of visitors.
‘The last two years hit London disproportionately hard and the capital is desperately trying to claw back some sense of normality after a tumultuous two years.
‘This strike now puts TfL in a position of having to recommend that Londoners work from home.
‘Ultimately, this will only harm London’s economy and it is time for TfL to sort out their dispute with the RMT so we can get back to building prosperity and showing the world that London is open business.’Â
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