Joint letter slams Bluebird Nordic’s bogus self-employment ploy

January 14, 2021

The ITF, ETF, IFALPA, ECA, NTA & FIA have sent a joint letter to Bluebird Nordic to condemn their actions against their contracted employees.

Our Icelandic affiliate Icelandic Airline Pilots Association (FIA) has informed us about Bluebird Nordic planned restructuring of the airline. We regret seeing Bluebird Nordic management’s actions, laying off all their pilots under a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), without any prior notice given. During ongoing negotiations on a new CLA, whilst (bogus) self-employed pilots from other countries are being contracted, we view this arbitrary decision to be an unfortunate case of social dumping.

These actions are an infringement on the standard safeguards that come with direct employment and permanent contacts such as fundamental labour rights, social rights, and benefits and diminishing the proper and liveable wage standards that have previously been agreed between both parties through a Collective Agreement. We strongly encourage Bluebird to rethink before embarking on such a journey and consider all legal, social and the wider societal repercussions.

While many passenger flights were grounded, the need to transport cargo worldwide has not stopped, on the contrary, the demand has increased significantly. As aviation workers, pilots are critical players in this current pandemic in delivering vital good and keeping essential supply chains open during this increasing catastrophic time. We urge Bluebird Nordic to reconsider these actions immediately in light of this.

In addition to the above issues, FIA has also advised us that Bluebird Nordic activities are directly attacking the FIA’s rights as a union and constituting an apparent attempt to “union bust”. These actions aim to boycott unions and cannot be considered anything other than social dumping with subsequent competition distortion. Learning of those plans raises our concern and places Bluebird Nordic among those operators who are now trying to use Covid-19 as a measure to engage in social engineering, regulatory forum shopping and atypical forms of aircrew employment.

ITF civil aviation section secretary Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez commented: “We urge Bluebird Nordic management to reconsider these actions immediately. They need to shift their focus and engage in a continued and meaningful social dialogue with the unions and refrain from precarious atypical employment practices, e.g. in the form of the crew contracted through broker agencies.”

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2 Responses to “Joint letter slams Bluebird Nordic’s bogus self-employment ploy”

  1. SATAWU Aviation sector is in full support of the struggle waged by ITS Aviation Section against Bluebird Nordic. Bluebird Nordic belongs to the same whatsapp group of the most scrupulous employers in this Industry who must be targeted global on reversing the gains achieved by workers in the Industry over many years of struggle.

  2. SATAWU Aviation sector is in full support of the struggle waged by ITF Aviation sector against companies like Bluebird Nordic. Bluebird Nordic belongs to the same whatsapp group of the most scrupulous employers in this Industry who must be targeted global on reversing the gains achieved by workers in the Industry over many years of struggle

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