Celtic fans have hit back at an article in Herald Scotland (and Glasgow Times) critical of the club for putting staff on the UK Government Furlough scheme.
Rather than make staff redundant due to the pandemic the Government scheme offers a maximum of £2,500 a month to employees unable to continue in their normal job.
Employers can reclaim upto 80% of wages under the scheme but in Celtic’s case they will pay the remaining 20% to ensure that everyone remains on their current salary level while the health crisis continues.
According to the piece in the Herald this move is a PR own goal! In the current climate there is no such thing as PR, we are dealing in reality and facts, genuine life and death decisions where substance matters not his it is interpreted elsewhere.
Author James Cairney justifies his argument explaining:
For a club like Celtic, which preaches values of charity and community, to make use of funds from the public purse during a time of unprecedented crisis to pay a small amount of their outgoings is not the best policy from a public relations viewpoint.
Celtic are a major tax-payer in Glasgow, locally they pay business rates, nationally they make massive payments of Income Tax and National Insurance.
The club is a significant employer across the city and beyond, attracting thousands of fans to the city who spend money in pubs, cafes restaurants and hotels.
Because the club has been well managed financially doesn’t mean that they should be excluded from an emergency scheme that provides some security for some of the lowest paid people in society.
While not becoming cheerleaders a local newspaper should be sympathetic to a local employer, a football club that provides endless pages of copy for the Herald and it’s stablemate the Glasgow Times who share much of their stories.
Perhaps if those city newspapers spent more time promoting and supporting the rights of workers that aren’t being put on the Furlough Scheme the Lock Down conditions could be much better observed.
OPINION | ‘Why Celtic scored a PR own goal by placing non-playing staff on furlough’ | @JamesCairneyHT https://t.co/PGjilrnYww
— HeraldScotland (@heraldscotland) April 2, 2020
Own goal? Every company in the UK are utilising the government scheme for furloughed workers. Footballers are training every day (working !) shop and admin staff are not working at all. Not a PR disaster just a stupid headline
— timalloy (@timalloy6711) April 2, 2020
Why wouldn’t a business that contributes through taxes not seek to use a government system in this unprecedented moment? I don’t get it!
— Mick McMichaels (@beeeley) April 2, 2020
Celtic is run by a business man, no reason that every tax paying company shouldn’t benefit. Now need other cost cutting measures and if others don’t follow suit then we wont have a league to come back to.
— Brian Connolly (@BConnolly5) April 2, 2020
Would you care to explain why a company who pays millions in tax shouldn’t be allowed to use a system billion dollar companies like BA and the likes are able to use to secure jobs? Would you rather they got themselves into a financial mess then the staff actually lost their jobs?
— stay at home. (@virginm62294885) April 2, 2020
