Statement March 17, 2020 COVID-19: Aviation workers urge the EU and the Member States to save and rebuild European aviation ETF Civil Aviation Section is closely monitoring the developments in European aviation caused by the spread of COVID-19. It is clear that we are dealing with an unprecedented crisis and that aviation will not be the same once the immediate threat is over. To ensure that the industry is saved and rebuilt, a series of aviation-specific measures need to be taken in short, medium and long-term perspective both by the European Institutions as well as the individual Member States.
News March 17, 2020 COVID-19: ETF calls upon Commissioner Sinkevičius to ensure protection of fishers! In a number of Members States fishing has stopped due to the measures to prevent the spreading of the COVID-19 virus. Stoppage of fishing will soon follow in other countries. The income of employed fishers and the survival of local fishing communities is at stake.
Statement March 13, 2020 COVID-19: Transport workers need protection and Europe needs to act now! ETF is now once again calling upon the Commission to take concrete action to protect Europe’s transport workers as new developments arise every day. Reports received from around Europe show that some employers are not taking the pandemic seriously, and are putting workers in danger with their failure to act appropriately.
Statement March 13, 2020 “People must be put first!” – ETF reaction to the Opatija Declaration On Wednesday, EU Transport Ministers adopted the Opatija Declaration on the future outlook of EU Waterborne Transport. ETF welcomes the attention given to some of the ongoing industry challenges, and at the same time highlights several points that we believe merit further consideration and follow-up both of the EU Member States and the European Commission.
Statement March 12, 2020 Thank you for keeping Europe moving! The crisis caused by COVID-19 is taking a huge toll on the transport workers of Europe. ETF General Secretary Livia Spera highlighted the obstacles transport workers are faced with, in a video message.
News March 12, 2020 ‘Indispensable’: Workshop highlights role of unions in ongoing digital transformation of Urban Public Transport The social partners in urban public transport, ETF and UITP, the International Association of Public Transport, held the workshop “Digital transformation in customer services and its impact on work in urban public transport” last week in Vienna. Trade unionists and employers spent two days discussing the impact of digitalisation on the public transport sector. The role of trade unions is indispensable in these ongoing transformations, and we are committed and up to the challenge!
News March 12, 2020 Appeal to the European Commission: Don’t let one giant airline catering business dominate the market! In the name of airline catering workers in Europe, European Transport Workers’ Federation and EFFAT European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions provided input to an EC merger control case that relates to Lufthansa selling its European operations of LSG catering group to Gategroup. We appeal to the European Commission to investigate the case further and not to allow the creation of one giant airline catering business dominating the market.
Statement March 11, 2020 COVID-19: ETF calls for additional measures to prevent dire social consequences in civil aviation! Yesterday, the European Commission announced that the rules about airport slots will be temporarily relaxed. This is an important step to ensure the stability of the airline industry in Europe. If introduced in isolation, however, it fails to address the very real social cost civil aviation workers will pay because of the decline in air travel. In parallel with the changes of rules for airport slots, all EU member states need to ensure that workers whose employment is in danger are protected, in line with the provisions that exist in their national legislation.
News March 9, 2020 COVID-19: ETF calls upon Commissioners Vălean and Schmit to devise a plan that protects transport workers! In view of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and its on impact transport workers, we sent a letter to Adina Vălean, Commissioner for Transport and Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights where we outlined our concerns, and what a plan to remedy the current situation should look like.
News March 9, 2020 International Women’s Day 2020: Making the transport sector fit for women workers On the occasion International Women’s Day, the ETF presents a teaser of the findings from the ETF survey on how to make the transport sector fit for women workers.
News March 5, 2020 Following a major raid at Amazon distribution centre in Austria, ETF and vida call for supply-chain liability in e-commerce A large-scale raid at the new Amazon parcel distribution centre in Großebersdorf, near Vienna in Austria took place mid-February. In total, 174 employees at 36 subcontractors (transport companies) were subject to inspection. Violations of labour legislation were found in 49 cases and a bogus company with 20 employees was detected.
Statement March 5, 2020 Keep Europe moving! We were sad to learn about another bankruptcy in civil aviation today – UK’s regional airline Flybe. The spread of the COVID-19 has had an important impact in accelerating the process towards the bankruptcy of the airline, which represents just one of the symptoms of a Europe-wide crisis. Decisive action needs to be taken to keep Europe moving. To prevent a complete collapse of the air transport networks in the immediate future, the EU, European countries and other key authorities such as EASA need to come up with a detailed, clear and effective contingency plan.