Earthquake in Smartwings: hundreds of people can be released, 29 pilots have already resigned

“The company was forced to take this step due to the bad situation in the aviation industry caused by coronavirus,” said Smartwings Group spokeswoman Vladimíra Dufková. The redundancies will affect pilots, cabin crew and clerical professions. CSA has 92 pilots, 114 flight attendants and 107 employees in office professions.

“We have the most difficult period ahead of us. To save society, we must take painful but inevitable measures. The air transport industry is facing the biggest crisis in the history of aviation and it is our duty to do everything possible to keep the Smartwings Group on the market and thus provide employment and prospects for as many of our employees as possible, “says Jiří Šimáně, Chairman of the Board of Smartwings.

He fires all companies

All airlines are applying for redundancies. In the case of Smartwings, it was said that the condition of state aid would be the maintenance of employment, but this requirement proved to be meaningless.

By Monday’s letter to the employment office, Smartwings created a cushion for dismissal until the end of February next year, so many people may not be fired. Both companies will allow people to switch to annual unpaid leave instead of dismissal. Yesterday, the government approved the extension of the Covid Plus program to transport companies. As a result, Smartwings should achieve a state guarantee for the loan.

Negotiations on the redundancies began last week. The Smartwings group was one of the last airlines to not ever leave, the company only significantly reduced wages. However, because of this, employees who leave will receive significantly lower severance pay.

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