Passenger Ambassadors are the face of Heathrow Airport. We have been working throughout the pandemic as key workers providing essential services, including handing out face masks, managing 2m social distancing in queues and assisting older and disabled passengers with baggage and e-gates.
We are often assisting Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRMs) at the airport, particularly during the pandemic, whose job it is to support passengers with additional needs for support.
Despite this, Heathrow management have made the brutal decision to ditch the Ambassador service, leading our employer, ABM, to issue redundancies for nearly 500 workers, putting us out in the cold in the middle of a pandemic.
This decision will place passengers at risk during the pandemic, and leave elderly people and others without a human face to provide reassuring, personalised support with navigating the airport. Moreover, these redundancies will potentially lead to a reduction in the services provided to disabled and other passengers with reduced mobility.
While Heathrow has invested a lot in new technologies in order to improve the passenger experience, it was previously recognised that personalised assistance is necessary to ensure the airport was inclusive and that no passenger was left unable to access air travel. Heathrow, however, is now prioritising money over safety and is putting passengers at risk. It is vital that, as the UK’s biggest airport, Heathrow continues to be inclusive and accessible to all passengers.
Please watch our videos: https://www.facebook.com/UniteLondonEast/videos/955247441593876/ https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3174411622620225
And follow us @LHRambassadors on twitter
You can contact us heathrowambassadors@gmail.com
If you want any further information
Specifically, we are requesting disabled people who might need this support or believe that it should be provided write to -: John.Holland-Kaye@heathrow.com
CC Board of Directors: Paula.Stannett@heathrow.com
Please say how vital the work of Ambassadors is at Heathrow and that they should be retained not sacked.
This is appalling. What are the ‘unions’ trade union and labour movement saying in support of your opposition ?