Executive salaries to be cut and programs instituted to shore up coffers
Air Canada will send home 15,200 unionized employees and 1,300 managers due to the “unpredictable extent and duration” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canada’s largest airline announced Monday it will place the unionized members on off-duty status and furlough the managers as it reduces capacity by about 85 to 90 per cent from April through June. It intends for the cuts, which will come into effect on or about April 3, to be temporary.
“To furlough such a large proportion of our employees is an extremely painful decision but one we are required to take given our dramatically smaller operations for the next while,” Air Canada chief executive Calin Rovinescu said in a statement.
“I understand and regret the impact this will have upon our employees and their families.”
Rovinescu and chief financial officer Michael Rousseau will forgo 100 per cent of their salaries, while other senior executives will take a 25 to 50 per cent pay cut. Board members agreed to a 25 per cent pay cut. Other managers’ salaries will be reduced by 10 per cent.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the government will subsidize 75 per cent of wages for companies that lose 30 per cent of their revenue during the shutdown. It’s not yet clear how Air Canada could benefit from this, but the airline said it will assess how the subsidy could affect its workforce reduction plans.
Trudeau also acknowledged the airline industry has been “extremely hard hit” by the pandemic and said the government will do more to help the industry, but did not reveal any details.
The prime minister and senior government officials have been working with Canada’s major passenger airlines as they seek help during the crisis. Ottawa has already agreed to provide Toronto-based Porter Airlines with $135 million in commercial financing, but has yet to reveal a comprehensive package for other airlines including Air Canada, WestJet Airlines Ltd., Transat A.T. and Sunwing.
To help deal with plummeting revenue, Air Canada is also looking to cut $500 million in costs and capital spending. It will draw down about $1 billion in operating lines of credit for additional liquidity and suspended its share buyback program on March 2.
Air Canada is working with Ottawa to repatriate Canadians abroad. It will continue to operate a select number of flights after April 1, pending further government restrictions, as well as operating cargo-only flights to ensure movement of goods, such as medical supplies.
Air Canada employed about 33,000 people at the end of 2019, according to financial statements.
Air Canada employs about 4,400 pilots. It’s not clear how many pilots will be affected by the decision, but last week the Air Canada Pilots Association reached a deal with the airline to reduce pilot pay, allow pilots to retire earlier and plan for a maximum of 600 redundancies in the coming months.
Pilots placed on furlough will continue to accrue seniority and service and will be recalled in order of seniority, the ACPA said in a statement.
The International Air Transport Association predicts airlines around the world will lose US$252 billion in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Business Financial post
