UK firms slash jobs to cope with outbreak's long term impact

LONDON (AP) — Companies linked to hospitality, travel and retail in Britain have announced thousands of more job cuts as the longer term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic take hold, choosing to slim down for survival rather than await potential government handouts.

The owner of sandwich and coffee shop chain Upper Crust was the latest business that caters to travelers to announce cuts Wednesday. Some 5,000 jobs are under threat as travelers stay home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It comes only a day after Airbus cut 15,000 jobs, including 1,700 in the U.K. Budget airline easyJet began consultations with unions on cutting a third of its staff, or 4,500 jobs in all.

Retail is also taking a huge hit. Even stalwarts such as British shopping icon Harrods reportedly drew plans for 700 cuts, blamed in part on a lack of tourists. The Guardian newspaper reported that Harrods boss Michael Ward told staff in a memo that “devastation in international travel has meant we have lost key customers coming to our store.''

Around 600 workers will lose their jobs at TM Lewin after the shirtmaker said it would close all of its shops. John Lewis Partnership warned about store closures and the Topshop empire also revealed redundancy plans for 500 management jobs.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson sidestepped pressure for more direct support to hard-hit industries during question time in the House of Commons on Wednesday, noting that government programs have offered a lifeline to some 11 million workers. He's putting his money going forward on a public works extravaganza that he's likened to Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

“We’re going to build, build, build and deliver jobs, jobs, jobs for the people of this country,'' he said.

That's not helping hard hit sectors such as aviation...