ETF STRONGLY OPPOSES THE ATTACK ON FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF ATCOs
As part of its package entitled ‘Open and connected Europe’, the European Commission announced today its recommendations on the so-called service continuity, including measures affecting the right to strike. The ETF) strongly deplores this attempt to limit indirectly this fundamental right guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights by proposing measures such as individual notification, protection of overflights and air traffic peak periods.
The proposed measures significantly encroach the national sovereignty of Member States and contradict the Article 153 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which clearly states that the right to strike is excluded from EU competencies. This article must be understood as a whole, including the way this right is being organised at national level.
ETF position paper on RP3
Discussions around the third reference period for the performance scheme are ongoing. It is more than time for the decision makers to update the EU regulations in order to make it a balanced and shared vision between all the stakeholders. In this context ETF has produced a position paper, summarizing the staff concerns and proposals.
Download here: RP3 Position Paper Final
Reality check: what’s behind flight delays ?
Efficiency, capacity and growth in European aviation from Prospect Union on Vimeo.
What is the true economic impact of air traffic control (ATC) strikes in Europe? Following the allegations expressed by airlines about the consequences resulting of ATC strikes the European Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination (ATCEUC) and the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) have unveiled today at a press conference in Brussels the real data behind the causes and consequences of flight delays. Our research based on official EUROCONTROL data has namely exposed that airlines themselves are by far the largest cause of delays and account for more than 50 percent of all delays in air traffic.
The right to workers' representation and collective action are enshrined in the founding Treaties of the European Union, while these Treaties stipulate that the EU has no competence on the right of strike which remains fully in the remit of individual Member States. In addition, international evidence shows that free and independent trade unions make a net positive contribution to productivity, competitiveness as well as safety. While we don't deny that industrial action has consequences on the traffic, we reiterate that it belongs to the fundamental rights of workers.
Time for Aviation to embody Social Europe 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
This year we, as Europeans, will celebrate 60 years of the greatest and most successful peace accord in the world. 60 years ago, the Treaty of Rome was signed laying its foundations, and those of the world’s biggest international single market. The economic integration of 1958 then received its proper political dimension through the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992.
In his opening statement to the European Parliament in 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker reinforced the commitment to a social market economy. Furthermore, the Aviation Strategy in Europe of December 2015, includes the need to reinforce the social agenda and create high quality jobs in aviation.
We, as the aviation professionals, who physically bring the countries of Europe together strive not only for the highest standards of safety for those in our care, but to embody the European project in our everyday work.
ETF OUTLINES FRAMEWORK FOR EASA BASIC REGULATION
Today the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF), gathering over 270,000 workers across the whole aviation industry, presented its 10 key priorities for the revision of the “Basic Regulation" which sets the framework and competences of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to the key decision-makers from the European Commission, the European Parliament (EP) and the Agency itself.
Joint ATCEUC-ETF Statement on the A4E call for action to attack the right to strike in Air Traffic Management
At the recent summit of the lobby association Airlines for Europe (A4E), Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) signed up to the A4E ‘Call for Action’ which aims among other things at limiting the right to strike in air traffic management. ATCEUC and ETF deplore the support for A4E’s approach since both organisations are of the opinion it is not for Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to join an attack from airspace users on their own staff. Therefore, ATCEUC and ETF consider the content of the press statement following this event as a dangerous step in the wrong direction for the future of European ATM. ATCEUC and ETF also recall that the right to strike is enshrined in the EU Treaties.
ETF ATCEUC statement against attacks on ATM workers rights
ETF views on remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS)
Today, unmanned aircraft are being used among other things for aerial filming and photographing, safety inspections of pipelines or buildings or by farmers. Tests are being performed for delivery of goods or even transport of passengers.
The Aviation Strategy for Europe presented by the Commission in December 2015 states: "unmanned aircraft share the same airspace with other aircraft [and therefore] the safety of their operations must remain coherent with the overall aviation safety policy. Finally, unmanned aircraft operations must also be consistent with air traffic rules as laid down in the Common Rules of the Air."
Due to the rapid development of RPAS, the ETF strongly supports the inclusion of RPAS into the scope of the EASA Basic Regulation, as well as other regulatory initiatives aiming to ensure a safe co-existence of manned aircraft and RPAS in line with the principle "one sky – one safety".
download ETF views : etf-views-on-rpas-151216
IFAIMA press release on Colombia plane crash LMI2933
We would like to remember the victims of this latest air disaster that has hit the entire world aviation community and send our thoughts to the families and to all those who have been affected by this terrible loss.
For this reason we share and support IFAIMA press realease.
New Chair Team
On 30th of November in Berlin, the ATM Committe have unanimously elected the new chairteam and we would like to congratulate them on their election.
This election is the result of a helpful and considerate cooperation that Charles-Andrè Quesnel,Aaron Curtis and Daniel Liebhart provided until now.
Today is the beginning of a new path that we hope will lead them to guide our Committee as their predecessors have done so far.
We are well aware that the challenges that lie ahead, related to all the still open dossiers on which we have been committed for years, will be very challenging and this is why we wish them all the best for their new post and best wishes for a good job.
We would also like to thank the resigned Vice-chair Luigi D'Iddio for all his work and dedication to our Committee in the last years.
Right to strike
ETF together with ATCEUC, today published a press release in response to the attack from Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) on the right to strike for ATM workers. A4E have been particularly vocal over the last few months, heavily criticising ATM personnel who strike to defend their rights. ETF maintain that the right to strike is protected by European treaty and is a matter for national law. Furthermore A4E have published a study based on inaccurate data, vastly inflating the impact of strikes, and failing to recognise many other causes of delay to the public, which is mostly in their gift. ETF and ATCEUC have responded today with a joint statement, exposing the inaccuracies of this study, and the fact that the right to strike is enshrined in EU treaty. ETF firmly believe that the way to address strikes is to have proper social dialogue in line with the Toolbox that has been developed by the social partners. The statement is published below, please feel free to redistribute at national level.
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