The Social Partners of the sectoral social dialogue committee for civil aviation read with great interest the study prepared by the University of Ghent on “Atypical employment in aviation”. The Conference held in Paris on the 12 & 13 February 2015 has given the Social Partners the possibility to discuss the findings of the study amongst themselves, with other stakeholders and with representatives of governments and the European Institutions.
Category Archives: Pilots
I AM DELTA: The final countdown begins
The ITF-affiliated International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) filed for a vote on representation last month with support from 60 percent of the workforce. The voting period is expected to begin in the next 4-6 weeks.
Delta is the largest anti-union airline in the US and in the global aviation industry with only its pilots and a handful of flight dispatchers belonging to a union.
The IAM Delta campaign aims to encourage flight attendants to ‘vote yes’ to unionization which will give them contracts and job security. Прочети още
ITF slams air union leader’s sacking
Jimena Lopez
The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) LATAM Network has slammed as “nakedly political” the sacking by the LAN Ecuador airline of a trade union leader, and promised actions to support her. Прочети още
Civil aviation representatives from all over the world mark 100th anniversary in Sofia
This year the world civil aviation marks the 100th anniversary of the first crossing of the air line between USA – Russia. A hydroplane transported on board passengers from the New to the Old world. This is the reason why today, a century later, workers in this sector celebrate the development of the most modern, preferred and fast growing means of transport worldwide.
Representatives from more than the 80 professions serving the industry, including pilots, cabin crew, airline technicians, dispatchers and ground staff from 115 countries will take part in the Evening of aviation at 22:30 h., at the thematic club NIGHT FLIGHT in Sofia. Under the thrill of emotions brought by international dances (Bulgarian folk dances, Indian and Latin dances), as well as the performances of Elitsa and Stundji, aviators will celebrate not only their profession but also their calling.
Among the guests will be Captain Yanko Stoimenov in whose defense in 2013 all European and global pilot community stood up with the appeal: “No to the criminalization of the aviation accidents!”
The anniversary is part of the program of the 43rd Congress of the International Transport Federation (ITF), held in the capital, with the participation of 1,700 transport workers from all over the world.
In 2014 Bulgarian Civil Aviation commemorates its 67 anniversary and 102 years of the realization of first flight of Bulgarian aircraft.
Flags of INconvenience: Europe must stop social dumping and flags of convenience in aviation
“Flags of convenience”, the scheme used in the maritime sector to seek laxer regulatory, taxation and labour regimes, is threatening the European aviation industry.A joint declaration signed by the group directly representing both employers and workers in the industry warns against the rise of this new development: airlines using “Flags of Convenience” (FoC) undercut fair competition in the sector, avoid many regulations and scorn the globe to exploit labour without European social rights and standards.
Europe must stop social dumping and flags of convenience in civil aviation
Around 120 delegates have gathered on the 1st and the 2nd of July 2014 in Catania, Italy, to attend a two-day conference on the evolution of the aviation labour market since the introduction of low fares airlines. Scientific research has revealed that the arrival of low fares airlines has introduced social dumping practices in the European aviation sector. The conference organised by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) demands that the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council stop these unfair practices and address the concerns of the workforce through the adoption of new specific legislation.
This conference is part of a wider EU funded project, which includes a scientific study that documents the impact of the new “flexible models” on employment in European civil aviation. The preliminary results have been presented by Professor Peter Turnbull (Cardiff University) and Dr Harvey Geraint (Birmingham University): “The data clearly illustrate the evolution in the civil aviation labour market that has increased the precariousness of work in the industry and altered the challenges facing trade unions”.
Qatar Air CEO refutes staff claims
The CEO of Qatar Airways has dismissed claims made in a Swedish newspaper that alleged unfair treatment of its employees.
The article in the Expressen newspaper was based around the experiences of three unnamed former employees of the airline – two cabin crew members and one pilot. They told tales of punishments for breaking curfews, being under constant surveillance, and facing restrictions on relationships between crew members. Прочети още
Flight time limitations – progressing safety harmonization
On the occasion of the new Regulation 83/2014 EU, adopted on 31 January 2014, and as a result of the enormous interest in the issue of the working time of the aircrews, an extraordinary meeting of Cabin Crew Committee (CCC) and Pilots Working Group (PWG) of the Civil Aviation Section (CAS), ETF was held on 4 February 2014 in Brussels. For more than 5 hours was performed a thorough detailed analysis of the ETF participation in the modification process of pre-existing norms. For the first time pilots and cabin crew will have uniform rules for working hours to protect them from exhaustion. They are supposed to provide over a higher level of safety by establishing legally set minimum requirements, as opposed to the current regulations. Due to the importance of the topic the meeting was attended in person by the President and the Vice presidents of the Civil Aviation Section ETF Enrique Carmona, Oliver Richardson and Ekaterina Yordanova. Mila Nikolova, member of the Committee, represented FTTUB. While not all of ETF’s requests were met in full in the Regulation, the CAS and the Federation as a whole supported this positive step in the harmonization of rules across the European Union and issued a purposive statement.
On 31 January 2014, the European Commission adopted a Regulation defining EU-wide rules on Flight Time Limitations (FTL) for European cabin crew and pilots. Thanks to the strong pressure of the European Transport Workers ’Federation (ETF) and other stakeholders, the original EASA proposal has been improved.
A number of significant concerns for workers have been addressed, protecting against the risk of fatigue in aircrew, and therefore the initial opposition to this legislation was dropped.
For the first time aircrew will have harmonized FTL that protects them against fatigue.
ETF Civil Aviation Section elected its youth representative!
On the 27th November 2013, the Civil Aviation section in the ETF elected its youth representative. We are proud to announce that her name is Alina Milusheva from FTTUB. Прочети още
ETF 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.
