British staff abroad 'should not have wages cut'

Tuesday, April 20th 2010

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has asked employers not to dock wages of staff stranded abroad.

Many thousands of Britons are currently unable to travel home to the UK to work, as flights are still grounded at a number of European airports.

Air traffic control company Nats has warned airline companies it is unsafe to fly due to the level of volcanic ash in the air following the Icelandic volcano eruption last week.

Mr Barber said yesterday (April 19th) it is not fair to punish staff who cannot work because of the situation.

"We would ask bosses to be sympathetic to the plight of their employees and be flexible in their approach to resolving the situation. Docking wages is an extreme reaction," he stated.

Alternative arrangements should be considered, such as using leave from the following year to account for current absences, he added.

The TUC represents more than six million workers and campaigns for their rights.