Category Archives: Projects

CONCLUSION OF THE GROUND HANDLING PROJECT

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Last week, the European Social Partners in Ground Handling (ACI Europe, ASA and ETF) met in Lyon for the last Steering Committee of the joint Social Dialogue Project. Within this project, a study was undertaken by Syndex and STC-Group on Market Access and Social Conditions, Vocational Training, Qualifications and Quality Standards.

The Social Partners agreed on a statement that will accompany the results of the project which includes a commitment to joint work on the evaluation of the Ground Handling Directive with the view to better identify the loopholes and the discrepancies in the market access to avoid distortion of competition with a special attention to transfer of staff as per national and sectoral CLAs and the Directive on Transfer of Undertakings. At the same time, greater harmonisation of training standards will also be part of the Social Dialogue programme and should be considered by the European Commission as part of the evaluation. The Social Partners are also ready to work on solutions to be considered after the evaluation process.

In order to present the results of the project, a brochure will be produced both in paper and electronic versions.

AVIATION LEADERS MET IN FLORENCE TO DISCUSS FUTURE CHALLENGES

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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.

ITF and Qatari government continue talks with aim of safeguarding transport workers’ rights

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The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) have begun a new round of talks with the Qatari government’s Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the rights of transport workers in Qatar.

They are the latest stage of a process begun via initial discussions between the Ministry and the ITF in 2016.

In the latest meeting, held at the ITF’s headquarters in London, both parties discussed effective ways and means that workers’ complaints can be safely aired and addressed. Both parties stated that their cooperation is based on a shared belief that the respect of international labour standards can help foster a positive working environment for transport workers.

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GROUND HANDLING WORKSHOP ON TRAINING AND QUALITY STANDARDS

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On 9 – 10 February 2017, the ETF together with ACI Europe and Airport Services Association co-organised a workshop on training and quality standards in ground handling. This event is part of an EU co-financed project in the framework of social dialogue.  http://fttub.org/ground-handling-social-dialogue-support/

As a starting point of the debate, STC-Group (consultant of this project) presented the results of their desktop research and case studies in the selected countries. This was followed by the presentation of the views of the individual organisations and a debate with the audience.

The three organisations agreed to explore possible common grounds on the revision on the EASA Basic Regulation as well as preparatory work for the assessment of the Directive 96/67/EC on ground handling services. The final conference presenting the outcome of the project will take place on 28 – 29 April 2017 in Copenhagen.

FIRST WORKSHOP OF THE GROUND HANDLING PROJECT

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The Social Partners representing employers and workers in the European Ground Handling – ACI Europe (ACI), Airport Services Association (ASA) and European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) – met on 8 and 9 December 2016 in Barcelona to discuss the issues of market access and social conditions in the ground handling industry. This workshop was part of an EU co-financed project in the framework of social dialogue.

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The aim of the project is to prepare social partners’ views in light of the assessment of the Directive 96/67/EC that was announced as part of the Commission’s Aviation Strategy for Europe. Before the workshop, an extensive research has been conducted by the consultant company Syndex consisting of desktop and questionnaire research.

The participants agreed that market opening without social regulation has caused excessive pressure both on the ground handling companies and workers. There is a need for rules that will ensure level playing field and binding social protection for the workforce.

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Therefore, all the three organisations will continue their joint efforts to have a sustainable and fair ground handling sector. The next workshop taking place in February 2017 will look at quality and training standards. Finally, the closing conference in April 2017 will present the outcome of the project to a wider audience.

FTTUB was represented at the workshop by its International Relations and Civil Aviation expert Antonia Panayotova who is also a member of the Steering Committee of the project, as well as by Petranka Shomova, a chairman of FTTUB’s  trade union organisation at Varna Airport and by Albena Vasileva from FTTUB’s organisation at Sofia Airport.

Eliminating violence against women at work and at home

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Trade Unions are fully determined to eliminate violence against women through collective agreements, and their proper implementation with employers, at national, sectoral and company levels.

In a ground-breaking, and unpublished, study ‘Safe at Home-Safe at work’, which will be presented in Madrid on November 24-25 to mark the International Day against Violence against Women (November 25), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) will reveal how trade unions in Europe have addressed violence against women at work and how support at the workplace can help eliminate violence against women at home.

The ETUC is hosting the Madrid conference to share experience of negotiations and agreements at company and sectoral level to combat violence against women and sexual harassment at work.

A survey carried out by the British TUC found that more than half of all women, and nearly two-thirds of women aged 18 to 24, experienced sexual harassment at work. A French survey, carried out in 2014, found that 1 in 5 women had been a victim of sexual harassment.

Pioneering agreements have been signed in several countries including Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and the Netherlands – see https://www.etuc.org/fr/publications/briefing-notes-etuc-project-safe-home-safe-work#.WDRA5vkrJPZ to more details in a briefing on the ETUC project ‘Safe at home, safe at work’.

Such agreements will guide future European trade union actions to eliminate violence against women at work.

The 2007 European Framework Agreement on Violence and Harassment at Work between the European trade union and employers’ organisations led to Europe-wide agreements in the commerce, private security, local government, health and education sectors.

“Sexual harassment at work is a serious problem which can have far-reaching repercussions for the victims and impacts on the whole workplace,” said Montserrat Mir, Confederal Secretary of the ETUC. “Together with the employers, we have the means to address it effectively through collective agreements, as our study shows.

“A new negotiating issue for trade unions and employers is how victims of violence at home can be supported in the workplace. Domestic violence often follows victims into the workplace, and obviously impacts on productivity and workplace morale. This makes domestic violence a trade union issue.”

Bulgarian input to the ETUC project “Safe at Home, Safe at Work”

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Violence against women in the workplace and the acts of domestic violence with all their impact on working life are the two main focus areas of the research within the project of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) “Safe at Home, Safe at work”. The President of FTTUB Ekaterina Yordanova, vice president of the ETUC Women’s Committee is a member of the steering group once again. The project covers 11 EU countries and Bulgaria is one of them.

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From July 6th to 9th, the independent researcher of the project Jane Pillinger held a series of meetings in Sofia. Прочети още →

Discussion Forum “For a socially responsible and sustainable transport development”

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IMG_0222On May 10, 2016 in “Central” hotel in Sofia a Discussion Forum “For socially responsible and sustainable transport development” was held. The forum has been organized by the Federation of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria (FTTUB) and “Friedrich Ebert” Foundation. It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of the Transport, Information Technology and Communications; Ministry of Labour and Social Policy; the Confederation of the Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria; affiliate unions of FTTUB; transport companies; NGOs; media. Прочети още →

Celebrating International Volunteer Day

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On December 5, the International Volunteer Day, FTTUB and the “European future” foundation paid tribute to volunteerism by awarding honorary diplomas and certificates to their volunteers who actively participated in the activities and the events of the two organisations. The ceremony was held on the beautiful site of Sofia History Museum. Nadezhda Staneva was leading the event.
FTTUB President Ekaterina Yordanova welcomed the participants with the words: “You are probably wondering how come unions, which preach that each work should be rewarded fairly, develop volunteering. Union membership and trade union activity in their own way are volunteerism. They mean personal time and effort sacrificed in the name of common good and excellence for all. Volunteerism is in the heart of trade unionism. ”
Yordanova recalled that last year FTTUB and the “European future” foundation, with the invaluable support of Sofia Municipality and Karlovo Municipality, organized and realized a number of initiatives. Прочети още →

Keeping the glance on the operational program for transport

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The end of the year is near, so is the closing of the Operational Program for Transport (2007 – 2013). This hurried both the project activities and accountability. After the meeting in October, yesterday’s meeting (November 25 to 26) in the Boyana Residence was another look at the results. One more meeting has been planned for the next month.
The Monitoring Committee (MC) meeting was attended by the Managing Authority, beneficiaries, local executive authorities, NGOs, trade unions, experts from the European Commission and others stakeholders.The president of FTTUB Ekaterina Yordanova was present, as usual.
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While these are two separate programs – OP Transport (2007 – 2013) and OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure (2014 – 2020.), the meetings of the MC always refer to both. Прочети още →