BA should pay a price for 'breach of faith' over COVID support, minister says

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways should "pay a price" for a breach of faith over the way it has put thousands of staff on notice of redundancy while the government is funding their salaries during COVID-19, a transport minister said.

Junior minister Kelly Tolhurst has criticised the British flag carrier for the planned redundancies and was asked by lawmaker Jerome Mayhew in the House of Commons how the government should respond.

Mayhew asked: "I think much of the anger that has been expressed in this House during this debate has been because British Airways has taken advantage of a government scheme intended to protect jobs and used it as a convenient funding stream for a long-planned corporate restructuring. It's a breach of faith.

"Does (the minister) agree that British Airways should pay a price for that breach of faith?"

"Yes," she replied.

BA's owner IAG <ICAG.L> has said it has to reduce its size to be able to survive.

(Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Stephen Addison)