Avianca ground staff return to work after bitter dispute

A bitter dispute between ground staff and Colombia’s national carrier Avianca finally ended on 9 January, when 130 workers who had been barred from their workplace returned to work Avianca uses co-operatives to outsource loading, unloading and aircraft and counter cleaning, although the 2,400 workers are employed by Avianca in all but name, which contravenes […]


February 27, 2015

Follow Cabin Crew Committee on twitter

Check out the latest tweets from our Cabin Crew Committee Meeting on #ITFCabinCrew.


February 26, 2015

What is aerotoxic syndrome? (telegraph.co.uk)

By Camilla Turner It is an illness caused by exposure to contaminated air in aircraft – known as a “fume event”. Commercial passenger jets have a system that compresses air from its engines and uses it to pressurise the cabin. However, this can malfunction, causing excess oil particles to enter the supply. The term “aerotoxic […]


February 24, 2015

Al Baker challenged to prove ‘bullshit’ claim

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) has once again thrown down the gauntlet to Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, and challenged him to prove that the airline is reforming its practices. The ITF has repeatedly exposed Qatar Airways’ outdated and autocratic working conditions. Along with the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) it has also […]


February 23, 2015

Danish union still hoping for collective agreement after meeting Ryanair (Press release from FPU)

After meeting with Ryanair in London Friday the 20th of February 2015,the Danish trade unions The Flight Personnel Union and The Federation of Employees in the Service Trade are still expecting to enter into a collective agreement. At the meeting, Ryanair was introduced to a proposal for a Danish collective agreement. The anticipation for entering […]


Zero-hour pilot contracts threaten air safety, says study (euractiv.com)

Airlines are increasingly using zero-hour contracts, pay-to-fly schemes, and temporary employment agencies based outside the EU to hire pilots and cut costs, practices which undermine passenger safety and social standards, a report by the University of Ghent has found. According to the report, which was financed by the European Commission, airlines have turned to “creative […]


February 18, 2015

ITF launches air quality working group

The ITF air quality working group will hold its inaugural meeting at ITF House in London on 27 February to review proposals to address the problem of contaminated air on commercial aircraft and at airports. The ITF has long recognised the negative implications for flight safety and workers’ health of exposure to engine oil fumes […]


February 17, 2015

Forced to stay single and facing the sack if they get pregnant, the staggeringly sexist rules for female cabin crew on Gulf airlines (dailymail.co.uk)

Cabin staff working for two major Gulf airlines face losing their jobs for falling pregnant and are even required to get permission before they marry, outraged campaigners claim. According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) carriers based in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are guilty of ‘flagrant abuses of aviation workers’ labour rights’. […]


February 16, 2015