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ITF and ETF condemn Ryanair's call for military intervention in French ATM strike
26 July 2010
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) strongly condemn Ryanair’s provocative call for military intervention to tackle future strikes by Air Traffic Management (ATM) personnel in France. With reference to last week’s strike by the French air traffic controllers, the airline company declared that the French government should call out the military to operate air traffic control “to ensure that France’s airports remain open for business,” and to prevent “innocent air passengers are not held to ransom (…) by transport workers.” Not only is Ryanair completely out of place to formulate such calls. The company also pollutes the difficult debate of Functional Airspace Blocks in Europe where a model of consolidation would have indefensible social consequences.
Ryanair’s reaction is out of all proportion and does nothing to help solve the problems in France, say ITF and ETF. The ITF and ETF call for a constructive dialogue about the harmonisation of European air traffic control without attempts to pollute the debate via provocative statements and intimidation of workers executing their fundamental social right to strike. The ITF and ETF express their support and solidarity with the French unions, representing the vast majority of the French ATM personnel, executing their legal right to strike.
“The company’s call on the French government to use military intervention in order to ensure business and protect air passengers is out of place and misguided,” says ITF Civil Aviation Section Secretary Gabriel Mocho. “This same company constantly asks governments to diminish stranded passengers’ protection by reducing their coverage to a minimum.”
The ITF and ETF also reiterate their demand to use a cooperative roadmap, the “Co-op Model”, to harmonise air traffic control without a negative social impact. The Co-op Model is based on cooperation between Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), and between employers and employees. It consists of Area Control Centers (ACCs) remotely located, but interconnected and operating technically as a single ATM centre. The Co-op Model allows the identification of information to be shared between different ATM systems. The ITF and ETF are convinced that this model of cooperation establishes sustainable FABs. It increases the performance with positive social consequences, improves safety, increases cost effectiveness and reduces environmental impact.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Gabriel Mocho (Tel: +44 20 7940 9276; mocho_gabriel@itf.uk)
European Transport Workers' Federation
Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105, Boîte 11
B-1000 Bruxelles
Telephone: +32 (0)2 285 46 60
Fax: +32 (0)2 280 08 17
Email: etf@etf-europe.org
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Related documents:
ITF and ETF condemn Ryanair's call for military intervention in French ATM strike (44kb PDF)
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