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ETF continues to oppose new Eurocontrol Administrative Reform
Eurocontrol Member States are now being called upon to approve by correspondence, the Administrative Reform package proposed by Eurocontrol management. The ETF, the largest representative body of aviation workers in Europe, along with Eurocontrol unions FFPE, USB and USEF remains opposed to the administrative reform, a position that was expressed at the Eurocontrol Provisional Council meeting on June 29th 2022.
Eurocontrol has historically had a competent and capable workforce which has served the Agency, airspace users and citizens well for many years. It is important for Eurocontrol to engage in meaningful dialogue to ensure that this competent and high level of skill remains.
We are calling on Member States to reject the proposed Eurocontrol Administrative Reform at this occasion to allow negotiations to restart in 2023. Progress has already been made, and can continue to be made but unilateral actions does not support negotiation, and it does not encourage workers to remain in employment in the Agency.
(more…)We say NO to forced or unfair implementation of lesser working conditions
ETF STATEMENT: EUROCONTROL – DELOITTE REPORT
Since last EUROCONTROL Provisional Council, ETF has been following the development of the “Deloitte Report” which aimed to implement some reforms including staff regulations and for which very little information and details were given to the concerned parties making all the 17 given recommendations unclear.
Therefore, the ETF met with the EUROCONTROL Head of DG Office to discuss actions so far taken and the continued objectives of the Deloitte report. While they are trying to implement some of the recommendations, there remains one outstanding element, that being the reform of the staff regulations including working conditions. The ETF continues to make it clear that the European ATM community will not stand for a forced or unfair implementation of lesser working conditions. As an Agency, continued constructive social dialogue is essential and the only way this issue can be managed.
While we encourage EUROCONTROL to continue social dialogue, we remain concerned that there is still no endorsement from the Provisional Council of EUROCONTROL for the staff regulations reform.
ATM Committee Chairperson Gauthier Sturtzer stated: “the staff regulations reform requires a mandate from the Members States that so far EUROCONTROL has not received.”
The ETF stands in solidarity with the social partners at EUROCONTROL, and continues their commitment to support them in their continued dialogue with EUROCONTROL during this difficult time.
Expect Delays due to shortage of operational staff!
EUROCONTROL published their latest forecast for the European flight movements for 2021 – 2027. It foresees that recovery to 2019 traffic levels in Europe could occur as early as 2023, if not during summer 2022.
Provided this prediction is met or just nearly met, the Professional Staff Organisations (PSOs) expect that the travelling passenger will see delays exceeding the 2018/2019 levels, where record delays reached an average of 1,75 minutes per flight. In comparison, the EU wide target was 0,5 minutes per flight. Passengers’ experience over the European Network will be seriously degraded.
As the PSOs have highlighted several times, the focus of the Single European Sky (SES) has become based on a short-term vision: an overemphasis on short-term gains, especially on staffing costs, and gambling that technology and liberalisation will eventually solve all the problems and challenges of the future.
In addition, it chooses to sustain a financial mechanism that is wholly unfit for traffic fluctuations.
ATCEUC and ETF Statement on Fundamental Review of EUROCONTROL Agency’s activities by Deloitte
On the initiative of its Director General Mr Eamonn Brennan, EUROCONTROL commissioned a “fundamental review” of the Agency’s activities. The contract was awarded to Deloitte in September 2020 and a final report was published at the end of January.
Both ETF and ATCEUC agree that despite its ambitions, the review and its 17
recommendations appear nothing more than a collection of incoherent statements, without any in-depth analysis of their effectiveness, their impact or their cost. It is extremely surprising that Deloitte considered this report fit for publication: for one, it clearly goes well beyond the terms of reference, to the point of suggesting significant institutional changes to the Agency’s setup – something that was explicitly excluded from the scope of the review.
Charles - André Quesnel, Chair of the ETF ATM Committee, added: “The review makes vague,completely unsubstantiated projections of cost savings while clearly risking disruptions to service delivery of Maastricht UAC, Europe’s only cross-border ATC centre, and other essential services of the Agency such as training and research and development. Some recommendations will substantially increase the costs for the airspace users and Member States, as Mr Brennan appears to be prepared to drastically change the core mission of the Agency as an independent and neutral entity at the service of both the States and the airspace users.”
Volker Dick, President of ATCEUC, noted: “While the report is concerning in itself, we are extremely disturbed by the methodology, or more precisely the lack thereof, that Deloitte used. All stakeholders were asked different questions, and we have the distinct impression that staff representatives were only included to give an impression of objectivity. None of the
questions we were asked, and certainly none of the answers, are reflected in the report.”
Mr Dick continued: “The study is nothing more than a very obvious attempt from Mr Brennan to hollow-out the EUROCONTROL Agency and to push more things towards privatized subsidiaries of the larger ANSPs. The distress this review has caused within the Agency and beyond – the study recommends a privatized Maastricht UAC takes over the Karlsruhe
airspace – is considerable. Many of our members have expressed anxiety and concerns for their immediate future. In a safety-critical, operational environment and during a global health crisis of unseen proportions, it shows a complete lack of managerial responsibility for the well-being of the Agency’s staff!”
PSOs summary position paper on EC RP3 proposals on performance and charging regulation
The Commission has recently published a draft text for a new combined performance and charging regulation that will govern the SES Performance Scheme. It is anticipated that this regulation will be in place for RP3, that commences at the beginning of 2020. ETF together with the other staff associations, ATCEUC, IFATCA, IFASEA and IFAIMA have for the last year been inputting into various consultation forums as well as holding bilateral meetings with the European Commission to present the staff view and influence the drafting of the regulation.
On 29th May the Commission held a consultation workshop with Canso, Airspace users and Staff Associations together with members of the Single Sky Committee to gain initial feedback. This was supported with a presentation from the three stakeholder groups. The letter below summarises our main issues with the draft text, and these have been sent to the Commission and member state representatives.
The Commission took away much feedback from the meeting, and we will await the outcome of the Single Sky Committee meeting, and it is likely that a revised draft text will be produced in due course.ETF-Eurocontrol Safety and HF Conference
EUROCONTROL and the ETF held a joint Conference on "Safety and Human Performance" . (more…)