Barratt, Carntyre, and North Air and furlough staff on full pay

Barratt Developments, North Air, and Carntyre Transport will all pay furloughed employees in full.

The government’s furlough Covid-19 (Coronavirus) job retention scheme allows furloughed employees to receive 80% of their salary, capped at £2,500. However, all three organisations have made the decision to pay their employees an additional 20% during this period.

Barratt Developments, after closing all of its locations on 27 March 2020, is in the process of furloughing 85% of its employees until the end of May 2020.

Additionally, all executive directors, the wider executive and regional managing director team, the chairman and the non-executive directors at the organisation will receive a 20% reduction in base salary and fees, and will not receive a pay increase in the 2020/2021 financial year.

Following talks with Unite, fuel tanker business North Air has made the decision to furlough 27 employees in line with the UK government’s job retention scheme and will top up the remainder of employee wages.

Unite also worked with Carntyne Transport to assist it with the decision of furloughing 60 heavy good vehicle and tanker drivers on full pay.

Linda Wilson, regional officer at Unite, said: “The deal agreed for 60 heavy goods vehicle and tanker drivers with Cartyne Transport is great news. The business has engaged constructively with Unite to ensure that those drivers who are not required at the moment due to a drop in demand are furloughed under the government’s retention scheme but also on full pay.

"We hope this will be an example to all other firms in the sector on how to treat their workforce and to stand by them after the loyal service the drivers provide.”

Shauna Wright, regional officer at Unite, said: “Unite is delighted that North Air has agreed to utilise the government retention scheme and top up the salary to 100% for the workforce in Aberdeen.

"This is a welcome offer from the business and shows that North Air as an employer values it's employees during these difficult times.”

Carntyne Transport and North Air were unavailable to comment at the time of publication.