The ETF has been closely following developments concerning cabin crew at Icelandair. In May, we expressed solidarity with the cabin crew following reports of union busting practices to hinder their legitimate resistance against a new contract with significantly worse working conditions.
Unfortunately, since then, the situation has further deteriorated. The ETF Pilots learned from the trade union Icelandic Cabin Crew Association Flugfreyjufélagi Íslands (FFÍ) about the intention of Icelandair to lay off all of its cabin crew and replace them with pilots. Luckily, a last-minute agreement reached between the company and the union prevented this situation.
The ETF and the ETF Pilot community deplore this unprecedented attack on the legitimate rights of workers and their union and this flagrant breach of safety obligations by Icelandair.
We strongly condemn both the behaviour of the company – offensive both towards cabin crew and pilots – as well as the actions of the pilots. Indeed, the pilots did not reject the call of the company and instead made themselves available to undermine the position of the cabin crew and thereby put the professional image of pilots as well as safety standards at risk.
The ETF Pilot community cannot stress enough that one category of workers should never be used to undermine the position of others and that no group of workers shall ever voluntarily engage in actions which could undermine the working conditions of other groups of workers.
We stand with the Icelandic cabin crew colleagues involved in this deplorable situation.
ETF Civil Aviation Section has issued a solidarity statement – available here and for download at your right.