A CAMPAIGN to protect Scottish aviation jobs and services was launched by the Unite union yesterday.

The Save Scottish Airports campaign’s key demands include extension of the job-retention scheme, linking financial support to jobs and conditions, and a ban on “fire and re-hire” practices. 

Earlier this month Unite representatives called on Transport Scotland, the national agency for transport, to forge a plan to save the sector from “irreversible ruin.”

Now the campaign says that any deal must include the extension of the furlough scheme beyond October as part of sector-specific provision, with support and investment “bound” to the conditions of workers.

It also says that the use of “fire and rehire” to force down wages and conditions should be stopped and redundancy periods extended.  

The campaign  is asking the public to write to local politicians to support the thousands of jobs at risk

“We need serious government support to prevent the collapse of our sector and a jobs disaster,” its launch statement said.

No-strings bail-outs that hand millions to bosses while workers face job cuts should be a non-starter, the campaign said, demanding that workers be put first.