The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), representing over 350,000 workers across the whole aviation industry in Europe, welcomes yesterdays’ European Parliament Plenary vote on the new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Basic Regulation as an important step in the right direction. Some of ETF’s long-standing claims – such as the inclusion of ground handling into the scope of the Agency or the interdependence between safety and socio-economic factors – have been reflected. Subject to the approval of the Council, the ETF regrets the extension of the flexibility provisions to eight months thus giving too many possibilities for airlines to derogate from established rules, in particular as regards flight time limitations. Прочети още
Category Archives: Pilots
The new EASA basic regulation is an important step in the right direction
The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), representing over 350,000 workers across the whole aviation industry in Europe, welcomes yesterdays’ European Parliament Plenary vote on the new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Basic Regulation as an important step in the right direction. Some of ETF’s long-standing claims – such as the inclusion of ground handling into the scope of the Agency or the interdependence between safety and socio-economic factors – have been reflected. Subject to the approval of the Council, the ETF regrets the extension of the flexibility provisions to eight months thus giving too many possibilities for airlines to derogate from established rules, in particular as regards flight time limitations.
ITF and Qatari government continue talks under the ILO technical cooperation programme
March 12, 2018
An ITF delegation, led by ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton, visited Qatar last week to hold discussions with top officials to set a framework for the implementation of the common objectives, agreed by both sides at a previous meeting held in London on 4 October last year.
The ITF delegation met with HE Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport; HE Mr. Issa bin Saad Al-Jafali Al-Nuaimi, Minister of Administrative Development – Labour and Social Affairs (ADLSA); Mr. Fernando Casadevall, Qatar Airways’ Chief Human Resources Officer; Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Director General of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Houtan Homayounpour, responsible of the ILO office in Doha.
The ITF delegates welcomed the Ministers’ commitment to the ILO technical cooperation programme (TCP), under which the ILO and the Government of Qatar agreed to work together to strengthen national regulations and practices. They also agreed to work together to strengthen the capacities of the government, employers, and workers to realise fundamental principles and rights at work, in line with international labour standards. Under the TCP, the government of Qatar will promote a speedy process to resolve individual grievance procedures and will regulate the creation of joint labour committees at company level, among other measures.
After the meetings, Stephen Cotton declared: “We believe that accelerating our cooperation with the aim of reaching an agreement will provide a clear message to the regional and global community that the Government of Qatar is fully committed to the TCP and workers’ rights generally. With the government’s support, and under the umbrella of the ILO TCP, I am certain that we can develop a road map to be launched in the next few months for the full protection of labour and social rights of all transport workers in Qatar.”
AVIATION LEADERS MET IN FLORENCE TO DISCUSS FUTURE CHALLENGES
Last week, the FIT-CISL Centro Studi in Florence hosted a series of Civil Aviation Meetings where the leaders of ETF-affiliated unions discussed the situation in aviation as well as challenges for the future. The first day was dedicated to the meetings of the Committees (ATM, CCC/PWG and GSC). On the second day, the second workshop of our Fair Aviation for All Project took place where we discussed a number of case studies including the right to strike in air traffic management, third-country workers, the Norwegian outsourcing model as well as the positive example of limitation of ground handlers at Fiumicino airport. The marathon of meetings was concluded by the plenary meeting of the ETF Civil Aviation Section. The main points of the meeting included the revision of the EASA Basic Regulation, preparation for the Commissions’ social package for aviation as well as future projects. A dedicated section was devoted to discuss common strategies in order to defend workers’ rights at Ryanair.
Ryanair recognizes pilots’ unions, ETF and ITF welcome the move
‘We’ll play fair, Ryanair’ – global unions respond to airline’s recognition decision
The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), who represent workers in all the major players in Europe’s aviation industry, including Ryanair, have welcomed Ryanair’s statement today that it will change its “long standing policy of not recognizing unions”– and have issued a challenge to the airline to play fair from now on.
ETF/ATCEUC PRESS RELEASE: Our Rights – Your Safety
Brussels, 20 November 2017
The Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination (ATCEUC) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) have launched today a campaign to oppose the European Commission will to shape and limit the Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs)’ right to strike. Indeed, Commission encroaches the national sovereignty of Member States as the right to strike falls outside the scope of the Treaties.
ETF CAS MEETING WITH DG MOVE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
On 14 November 2017 the delegation of the ETF Civil Aviation Section met with the Director-General of DG MOVE Henrik Hololei and his team.
The meeting dealt with a number of ETF priority topics including the revision of the EASA Basic Regulation which is about to be finalized, the proposed ‘Aviation Social Package’ due to be released in 2018, the equality of treatment of third-country aircrew, ATM service continuity and the right to strike, social protection of ground handling staff, follow-up of the ECJ ruling on Ryanair as well as the EU external aviation policy. In conclusion, the Commission agreed to a number of action points on the individual items.
While remaining cautiously optimistic, ETF will continue to push for concrete results of this work so that this doesn’t become (yet another) talking shop.
AIRLINES CAUSE ONE MILLION MINUTES OF DELAY WHILE BLAMING OTHERS
Joint Press Statement of ETF, ATCEUC and IFATSEA
Brussels, 26 September 2017
The undersigned ATM Professional Staff Organisations note with great regret yet another attack of Airlines for Europe (A4E) on the European Air Traffic Management in the form of a joint letter of A4E member airlines’ CEOs to the European Air Navigation Service providers (ANSPs). The letter enumerates a number of ATM-related issues as cause for the delays. We understand that delays and lack of capacity might be frustrating but every day ANSPs and their staff are doing the utmost to deliver safe and quality services to airlines and their passengers.
While recognising the constraints we as professional staff representatives believe that Europe should be proud of its ATM system. Given the different cultural and national backgrounds it is remarkable that we have been able to build a cooperative system that delivers such an incredibly high level of safety and efficiency. A4E, on the contrary, is very selective in terms of the numbers they portray as hard facts, demonstrating a self-centred point of view only directed at profit margins rather than at offering true benefits for the European citizens.
ITF/ETF PRESS RELEASE: Ryanair business model must reform now
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the European Transport Workers’
Federation (ETF) today warned that Ryanair’s business model of outsourcing and the rejection of staff requests for better conditions and union representation is putting the airline’s future in doubt.
The ITF revealed that, following the defeat for Ryanair/Crewlink at the European Court of
Justice last week, it has been approached by a number of investors who are concerned by
analysts’ estimates that compliance with the judgement will increase Ryanair’s labour costs by
up to 20 percent – leading them to question the sustainability of its aggressive and cost-cutting
business model.
ECJ RULING ON RYANAIR: BIG VICTORY FOR WORKERS!
On 14 September 2017 the European Court of Justice ruled that disputes over a cabin crew member’s contract of employment fall within the jurisdiction of the courts of the country from which they carry out their duties. This ruling will put an end to the unfair practices of Ryanair who insists that only Irish courts are competent. This is a BIG VICTORY for all aviation workers in Europe.
We learnt this very good news during the ETF ‘Fair Aviation for All’ first seminar in Tallinn and all participants applauded to the ECJ decision.
The full ETF/ITF press release can be found below :
ECJ ruling is ‘defeat for Ryanair and victory for workers’ rights’
14 September 2017
The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) have welcomed a ruling today by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) as a major defeat for Ryanair on workers’ rights. The Court established that disputes over a cabin crew member’s contract of employment fall within the jurisdiction of the courts of the country from which they carry out their duties – not those of a country such as Ireland which the airline might choose to suit its own interests.
The ruling in the joined cases of Nogueira et al vs Crewlink (Ryanair’s recruitment agency) and Osacar vs Ryanair, establishes the rights of mobile aviation workers to have their grievances heard under the laws of the country from which they work. It determines that an employee can sue his or her employer at a court which he or she regards as closest to him or her. This is a vital step for those who need to seek redress in matters relating to individual contracts of employment.
The ruling brought together multiple cases of cabin crew members from Belgium, Spain and Portugal, all of whom had had employment problems (such as wrongful dismissal cases) with Ryanair/Crewlink, which had attempted to have them heard in Ireland, irrespective of where the crew members lived and worked.
ITF general secretary Steve Cotton explained: “This ruling is a defeat for Ryanair and a victory for workers’ rights. It upholds the fundamental principle of protecting mobile workers in aviation by ensuring that they can hold their employer to account in the country from which they genuinely discharge their duties – not in a nation which they may never have visited and whose courts are foreign and based hundreds of miles from home and place of work.”
Eduardo Chagas, general secretary of the ETF commented: ““I am confident that this ruling will empower the workers in all airlines that want to circumvent national law and pick the jurisdiction that best serves their interests. The home base from which you work is the obvious criterion when defending the legitimate labour rights of mobile staff inside the EU.
“I would like to pay respect to the workers and their unions who stood up and fought for their rights. This this ruling is an important victory in the fight against social dumping in aviation.
“I would also like to thank the ITF/ETF-affiliated CNE union from Belgium for supporting this ground-breaking court case”
The ruling followed a question asked by the Labour Court of Mons (Belgium) and has today found that under Regulation (EC) 44/2001 a crew member can sue their employer in front of the appropriate labour court. This is a major setback for Ryanair, which has been claiming for years that only Irish courts can hear cases from anyone of any nationality and any home base who works for it, since, among other things, its aircraft are registered in Ireland.