Here you will find an ever expanding resource covering aviation issues that affect all categories of civil aviation workers including cabin crew, airline ground staff, pilots, airport workers and air traffic management staff. Be sure to return regularly or to register to receive updates as this area will be updated on a daily and weekly basis. Also, please email us at aviation@itf.org.uk if you have any links or material you would like to contribute here, or simply to offer us feedback. The ITF Civil Aviation section.
A union of Russian pilots at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport on Tuesday accused the country’s flagship carrier Aeroflot of endangering passengers’ lives by overworking staff in search for profit. The Sheremetyevo Cockpit Personnel Association said that Russia’s main airline was employing “tired pilots who can fall asleep at any moment.” “Because of Aeroflot’s greed, the […]
ETF demands a social dimension inside the Single European Sky in its second European Action Day on 30 January 2014 Following the call of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and the entire Air Traffic Management (ATM) employees are mobilising for a new European Action Day on 30 January 2014 to demand […]
While the trade union ShPLS, representing pilots of thee biggest Russian airline AEROFLOT, is in the midst of bitter fighting for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), three of its leaders were arrested on 18 and 20 October 2013 as a result of a provocation. Alexei Shlyapnokov, Valeriy Pimoshenko and Sergei Knyshov now can be sentenced […]
Just like American airlines did in the 1960s In China, some young ladies attend university for a chance to enter a beauty pageant. But it’s a very specific pageant, with the promise of employment at the end—a university-sponsored beauty contest for would-be flight attendants. Qingdao University recently sponsored one of these competitive events, which brought together women who had been recommended by four different […]
The fight for rights for Delta Air Lines cabin crew came to Europe this week, as grassroots activists kicked off a week of activities in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Monday 6 January.
The ITF-affiliated International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), based in the USA, have campaigned on organising for over a year at every Delta location in the USA. They want a vote on organising flight attendants at the airline, which is the world’s largest non-union carrier, and are urging Delta flight attendants to sign the authorisation cards necessary to call an election.
A key demand of the campaign is the issue of contracts – Delta flight attendants are ‘at-will’ employees who can be dismissed for any reason and are working without contracts. Delta pilots, on the other hand, have a union and are covered by contracts.
Activities in Amsterdam between 6 and 10 January will give Delta flight attendants the chance to learn more about the campaign and the benefits of joining a union.
ITF civil aviation secretary Gabriel Mocho welcomed the campaign’s European debut, saying: “The professionalism of cabin crew at Delta cannot be underestimated. These workers keep passengers safe every day of the year, yet each and every one of them could face the sack at zero notice. We welcome this campaign to raise awareness on the benefits of organisation, and offer our full support and backing to the campaign. We urge our affiliates to reach out to Delta flight attendants, to share their experiences of belonging to a union, and to help raise standards for them”.
Find out more about the IAM Delta campaign, and download your authorisation cards, at www.iamdelta.net
Stay up to date with the latest campaign news by liking IAM Delta’s Facebook page
Visit the ITF Delta campaign page at http://www.itfglobal.org/civil-aviation/atlanta.cfm
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A Norwegian airline registers its aircraft in Ireland, “rents” flight crews based in Thailand covered by the labor laws of Singapore, and then applies for a foreign air carrier permit from the United States. Unfortunately, this is not the start of a bad joke but a new business […]
Turkish Airlines Reinstates 305 Workers and Signs Collective Agreement. TURKEY – Just in time for the holiday season, the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) announced that an accord had been reached between Turkish Airlines (THY) and the ITF-affiliated Turkish civil aviation union Hava-Is to reinstate 305 sacked workers, ending a 20 month dispute at the […]
A consensus accord between Turkish Airlines (THY) and the ITF-affiliated Turkish civil aviation union (Hava-Is) on 19th December will ensure the reinstatement of 305 sacked workers and end a 20-month dispute at the airline. A collective agreement covering 2013, 2014 and 2015 was also reached.
The 305 workers in question were laid off after taking action in May 2012 to protest against legislation banning strikes in the aviation industry. Despite court rulings in favour of more than 170 of the dismissed members of Hava-Is, the airline repeatedly refused to reinstate any of the workers. A significant ITF campaign was launched to support the union and “reinstate the 305”. In March 2013 the ITF, together with Hava-Is, lodged a complaint against the Turkish government at the ILO.
Commenting on the agreement, the union’s newly-elected president, Ali Kemal Tatlibal said that all 305 workers will be reinstated and that THY managers had also agreed not to hire part-time cabin crew and to shift existing part-time cabin crew contracts to full time jobs.
ITF civil aviation section secretary Gabriel Mocho declared: “We are delighted to see that a deal has been finally reached through proper negotiation between THY and our affiliate Hava-Is – showing that determination pays off. It’s a fantastic outcome that we hope will help the Turkish government to repair its tarnished reputation.”