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Polish airline backs down in rights violation incident
15 February 2007
The management of a Polish airline has given in to union protests over reported trade union and civil rights violations; four trade unions’ offices were raided earlier this month.
According to the ITF-affiliated LOT Polish Airlines cabin crew union, the company ordered a group of individuals to enter its offices and those of three other unions on 2 February. They confiscated computers, which contained not only trade union documentation and correspondence but also members’ personal data. All the unions involved – which included the affiliate - were operating legitimately on the airline’s premises.
However, two actions by the union this week and a protest letter from the ITF to the President on 12 February, precipitated a major breakthrough; the company returned the computers and took the unprecedented step of replacing the President. Representatives of the cabin crew union, who have already met with the new President, Marek Mazur, are requesting an official record of the infringements carried out during the raid.
ITF Civil Aviation Secretary Ingo Marowsky commented: “These interferences constitute fundamental violations of trade union, civil and human rights. We hope that the new President of the board will respect these rights and engage in social dialogue with the unions representing its workers.”
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