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Across Europe pilots and crew sound fatigue alarm
5 October 2009
Pilots and cabin crew are demonstrating across Europe today to warn that they are in danger of being pushed to work so long and so hard that the public could be put in danger.
In a united day of action aviation workers are lobbying the European Parliament in Brussels and demonstrating at airports to prove to the public and politicians that the EU has scientific evidence that its rules on air crew fatigue are potentially unsafe. To back their case they are handing out fake boarding passes featuring cigarette packet-style health warnings, detailed information on crew fatigue, and an explanation as to why EU law must be changed.
One year has passed since the EU received the Moebus report, a scientific analysis which warned of the need for legislative changes to ensure passengers and crew are protected against fatigue-related safety hazards. But rather than acting to prevent the risk the EU allowed itself to be paralysed by strong airline lobbying.
Now the ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) and ECA (European Cockpit Association) have decided to break the “veil of silence” and go public – at airports, in the media, and to the EU Institutions.
Captain Martin Chalk, ECA President, commented: “This action day is the first of a number of possible actions pilots and cabin crew will undertake to highlight the safety risks of crew fatigue. Inaction at EU level has triggered a reaction from the safety professionals who passengers trust. If the EU does not act, we will.”
Francois Ballestero, ETF Political Secretary, added: “Flight safety is the core mission of every cabin crew member. But EU law is insufficient to ensure that air crew can perform their safety role in an alert and effective way. We know this from experience, and scientific evidence confirms it. The EU has been looking the other way for too long. This must change!”
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