By Skies Magazine | April 17, 2020 Estimated reading time 1 minute, 38 seconds.
Transat A.T. announced on April 17 that it intends to “make use” of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and proposed its 4,000 laid off workers return to employment under the wage subsidy program.
Near the end of March, the Canadian carrier said it would be forced to lay off 70 per cent of its staff due to the economic hit felt by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the dust settled though, the airline said it laid off closer to 80 per cent of its workforce.
“Temporarily laying off a large majority of our employees was a necessary but heartbreaking decision,” Jean-Marc Eustache, Transat president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We are very pleased today to be able to offer them this opportunity. Our employees are Transat’s greatest asset and I hope this will bring them some comfort in the face of a situation that is so distressing for all of us.”
According to Transat, those employees who are recalled to employment will receive 75 per cent of their baseline pay, to a maximum of $847 a week, in accordance with Bill 14: A Second Act Respecting Certain Measures in Response to COVID-19. These employees will not be required to work as part of the recall.
