aviation workers

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) affiliate ver.di has secured an historic collective agreement, including improved wages and working conditions for over 30,000 employees at major German airports following strike action earlier this week. This historic agreement sets a precedent by replacing numerous individual agreements and sets a new standard for the industry.

The ETF welcomes the recent report published by Greenpeace, revealing the urgent need for better working conditions and employment standards in the aviation industry. There is no aviation industry without its workers, and they should become the 1st priority within the entire sector.

Until the aviation industry is ready to offer real solutions to address the ongoing social issues in the sector, the 2022 summer chaos will repeat in 2023, warns ETF. In a letter to the EU Commissioner for Transport, ETF indicates that an honest social dialogue and ensuring that aviation is a good place to work are crucial to building a sustainable aviation industry.

Trade unions play a vital role in representing workers' rights and interests. They are the credible voices demanding social protection for workers: unemployment benefits, pensions, or access to healthcare. Aviation workers across Europe are saying that the chances of decent working conditions and fair pay are non-existent unless a union represents workers.

In a joint statement, the European Social partners in Civil Aviation agreed to join efforts to tackle one of the large spread issues which highly impacted the sector during the COVID pandemic and the summer 2022 season: the disruptive passengers.

Ryanair’s decision to let go of 100 workers from its base in Brussels Zaventem will change the lives of these workers forever. They will now be forced to move entire families away from Brussels or leave the industry without any say. It is unacceptable.

Aviation workers across Europe will speak up at the ETF Aviation Conference 'Redefining the future of aviation,' taking place in Brussels (Belgium) on the 14th of September 2022.

This summer aviation is in serious industrial problems, and that is a certainty by now. The ETF is supporting all industrial action of its aviation members this summer and expects there to be much more disruption and industrial action as the summer develops.