ITF’s invitation: ‘Let’s solve aviation crisis '

29 January 2010

ITF’s invitation: ‘Let’s solve aviation crisis together’

Global union the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) today issued an urgent invitation to everyone involved in civil aviation to join together to find answers to the crisis in the industry and build a sustainable future for it. The move came after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) released figures showing the worst decline in air passenger traffic since the Second World War.

The ITF, which represents 635,000 aviation workers among its worldwide membership of 751 unions and 4.6 million workers, made the call to employers, governments and international bodies like ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), IATA and the ILO (International Labour Organization), to which it wrote today asking for their support in beginning a stakeholder dialogue.

Addressing the heads of those organisations, ITF Civil Aviation Secretary Gabriel Mocho explained: “The aim of this dialogue would be to develop a socially acceptable response to the current economic crisis and a strategy for promoting sustainable growth, stability and decent standards in our industry, which is currently characterised by volatility. The crisis has demonstrated very clearly how damaging this volatility can be not just to workers, but also to companies and to government finances.

“The ITF and its unions also believe that now is the time for the key stakeholders to show leadership and foresight, and to abandon the prevalent short-term mentality in order to build an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for the industry.”

He concluded: “I hope that as the key international institutions in the aviation industry, ICAO, IATA and the ILO will agree to participate in such a dialogue and demonstrate willingness to engage with the concerns of workers to address the growing disquiet within this large stakeholder group.”

The invitations were accompanied by a copy of the statement agreed by representatives of the ITF’s member aviation unions (see below).

ENDS

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