Doncaster banks targeted again in union protest against British Airways

HSBC, Santander and Barclays in the town’s High Street were all the subject of protests for the second week in a row, along with Marks and Spencer.

The firms are all partners with BA, with protesters urging the firms to pressure the airline over what they describe as a ‘BA betrayal.”

Union chiefs say British Airways plans to fire its workforce and rehire those that survive on inferior contracts.

They are calling on the firm’s corporate customers to use their influence to urge BA to enter into sensible negotiations with Unite.

The campaigners held a banner reading ‘British Airways – Stop Betraying Britain’, outside Santander, Barclays, HSBC and Marks and Spencer in Doncaster following a similar protest last week.

A recent poll of over 2,000 people, including over 1,219 BA passengers across the UK, conducted by Survation, revealed that the majority of those polled believe BA is wrong to terminate staff and re-employ them on reduced terms and conditions in the middle of a health crisis.

Last week, the protests were led by Doncaster Labour councillors and former ASLEF president Tosh McDonald.

A Unite spokesman said: "British Airways' workers face an unprecedented attack on their jobs, pay and conditions in the middle of the worst health crisis in a century.

"Workers, MPs, celebrities and the public have condemned BA's behaviour. BA needs to be made aware that its customers oppose the airline's behaviour."