Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Thursday morning (30 September), TransIndus managing director Singh said she welcomed the initiative 18 months ago as it "helped many people retain their jobs", but criticised government for removing the scheme too soon – particularly for industries like travel which are yet bounced back.
"Everybody agrees it has been a tremendous scheme, and it has helped many people retain their jobs. In the sectors where it has saved jobs, those industry are flourishing, they have recovered – they have bounced back.
"But for others, the purpose has been absolutely defeated now. Why lose the good work of the furlough scheme at the last minute and allow it to die out now?
"What if the purpose of that colossal spend was wasted at the last minute? You do have to taper things off, you have to realise where the targeted money should be and where it needs to be spent. [To remove the scheme] at the last minute, if you know an industry is not being supported you have to look at ways to help that."
Singh also criticised the government’s "haphazard" approach to support for the travel industry. "It’s been prone to change and it’s eroded consumer confidence," she said. "People are not really ready to travel at the moment. The PCR tests, the lateral flow tests, the visas and so on, it’s been really, really complicated."
Jo Pitman, an agent who has been supported by the furlough scheme for the past 18 months, said she will be taking a "pretty big" financial hit when she goes back to work next week on a part-time basis.
"They have cut our roles down to 60% of our standard hours, so that’s a really hefty chunk," she said. "I’m having to work four or five other freelance jobs to get it back to 100% of my hours and 100% of my salary I was earning pre-pandemic.
"I work for a fantastic company, we do fantastic work, and to step outside of [the travel industry] would probably pain me a little bit."
