‘Brutal’ cuts at Trump Turnberry have left staff ‘dropping like flies’ at the luxury resort.

The business took advantage of UK Government funding to put staff on furlough, but now as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme winds up, over 80 members of the resort’s 305 staff members are expected to lose their jobs.

Workers at Donald Trump’s luxury Ayrshire resort were left in limbo when they were told redundancies were coming on June 18.

An experienced member of staff who has been made redundant told the Advertiser: “It’s brutal at the moment.

“The usual first in, last out thing for redundancy went out the door.

“They just sucked up all the government’s money and used COVID as an excuse.”

The resort is reportedly still suffering a lack of clients but, despite this, a worker told the Advertiser that staff are ‘running around like headless chickens’ because there is not enough help on hand.

The union representing the workers, RMT, said the Trump operation has shown no sign of backing down and has in fact ratcheted up the cuts.

RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Lynch said:“It has been clear from the outset that the company is hell-bent on cutting jobs and slashing terms and conditions, under the guise of COVID-19, while at the same time as being in receipt of British Taxpayer’s money in the form of furlough payments.”

The pandemic saw international travel grind to almost a total halt, and the hospitality and tourism industry has been severely impacted.

However, RMT claim that the increase in people holidaying near home will combat this and Turnberry has acted too quickly.

Managers at Turnberry, having reportedly been out under pressure to get spending down, have been left doing the work of five people, a source at the hotel said this week.

“Complaints are coming in thick and fast. It’s overwhelming,” said a staff member.

The original proposed list of job losses included 25 manual workers, 12 clerical staff, eight professionals, 12 managers, and six technical jobs.

But RMT said the company is planning to bulldoze through over 80 redundancies alongside damaging cuts to sick, pay, working hours, pay enhancements, staff benefits and working conditions.

The union has written to the Scottish Government urging them to intervene.

Trump Turnberry was offered the opportunity to respond but had not done so at the time of publication.