PASSENGERS and cabin crew are being put at risk by British Airways because of shoddy hygiene, it has been claimed.
Worried staff are known to have complained that the aircraft are not being deep cleaned, hand sanitiser and gloves are in short supply – even though staff are expected to handle dirty cups, glasses and trays – and crew are forced to be in close proximity with each other and passengers.
It is understood that crew members are also expected to rest in bunks fellow members have exited just minutes before, using the same pillows and mattresses.
Some have said on social media sites that they are subjected to testing for the coronavirus in certain locations but not told the results.
Staff also say they are being told they can either work or take unpaid leave and one crew member whose wife is heavily pregnant says he was ordered to leave their home and self-isolate elsewhere so he could report for work. It is claimed that the only other option he was given was to take unpaid leave.
BA staff also complain they are being left hungry after food outlets in airports were closed.
In a memo sent to crew members by BA management, staff are told that masks should only be used for those showing symptoms.
“While no-one will be in ‘trouble’ for wearing a mask, it has been observed on flights that people wearing masks often touch their faces more often to make adjustments than people not wearing masks,” the memo states.
It goes on to say that BA understands that many staff are anxious about coming to work and is pursuing all “reasonable” options for reducing risk.
It adds that if staff still don’t feel comfortable about coming to work they can request unpaid leave.
“We have been emailed on a daily basis by management (who are themselves working from home) telling us that our canteen is closed, the crew coffee shop is closed and the crew money exchange shop is closed,” said an email from one staff member which has been circulated through social media.
“We are expected to fly to hotels and stay in our rooms with no access to fresh food and advised to use Uber Eats.
“Working includes sitting extremely close to colleagues on ‘jump seats’, close proximity to colleagues on buses and in aeroplane galleys with no separate hand washing facilities. We also have to queue alongside passengers to use the restroom to wash hands, in contact with up to 469 passengers.
“The enforced rest schedule for British Airways crew, as dictated by CAA, includes horizontal rest in bunks that fellow crew members exit only minutes before, using the same pillows and mattress although we are granted clean pillow slips. They are small metallic bunk-style beds in a very small enclosed space.”
The email adds: “There is only 10ml of hand sanitiser between the whole crew who are subject to extremely tight liquid restrictions and are unable to bring their own extra sanitiser.
“Crew are expected to look after the medical needs of these passengers as well as their safety and security, provide food and refreshments and clear in the dirty trays and cups and glasses with no masks or gloves or other personal protective equipment. Crew management have suggested that crew are less likely to get coronavirus with no indication of how or where they received that information.”
Unite the Union is understood to have raised the concerns with BA management, who did not respond to the Sunday National’s request for comment.
The complaints come amid fears of massive job losses at the troubled airline.
Earlier this month BA boss Alex Cruz said: “We can no longer sustain our current level of employment and jobs would be lost – perhaps for a short term, perhaps longer term.”
In a memo to staff called The Survival of British Airways, he said the airline industry was up against a “crisis of global proportions” that was more serious than that caused by 9/11 or the SARS virus.
It has mothballed planes and suspended routes in a way it has “never had to do before”.
He told staff “not to underestimate the seriousness of this for our company” even though he added that BA was financially resilient and had a strong balance sheet. Unions have been in talks with BA since March 17 when the company issued a risk of redundancy notice.
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