The ITF’s civil aviation leadership, representing over one million aviation workers worldwide, is meeting in Montreal to set a worker-led agenda ahead of the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly taking place later this month.
The ICAO Assembly will bring together government, industry and union representatives to set the priorities for aviation’s highest body for the next three years.
The ITF and its allies are focused on ensuring the Assembly recognises and commits to protect and enhance good jobs in the industry.
“Aviation workers deliver the safest mode of travel on Earth. The only way to keep it that way moving forward, is to invest in our workforce,” said Sara Nelson, Chair of ITF’s Civil Aviation Section.
Good jobs, adequate staffing, proper rest, and stable career prospects will deliver the industry we need, not policies that force us to work longer, harder and for less.
"Our proposals call for the industry to put us – our skills, experience and voices – front and centre. States and our industry partners must back standards that make aviation safer and socially sustainable for everyone. That means putting our environment, our economy, and all our people at the forefront of aviation policy,” said Nelson.
Together with sister federations the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA), the ITF has submitted a series of Working Papers and Information Papers to the ICAO Assembly, calling for reforms that put safety and decent work at the heart of international aviation policy.
Fundamentally, the ITF’s engagement at the ICAO Assembly is a call to make social sustainability central to the agenda for the next three agenda – committing processes, structures and elements that benefit society, protect workers, and keep the public safe.
The papers highlight the need to address workforce challenges, including building a positive safety culture, protecting staffing levels in the cockpit, and strengthening protections around fatigue and mental health for all aviation workers.
“ICAO must work with the aviation workforce, through their representatives, to address the significant workforce challenges facing the industry. Social sustainability must be taken seriously – not as an afterthought but as a core part of the Assembly’s conclusions. We are here to work with the industry to make it an attractive place to work again. That means working with us, our sister organisations, and the ILO as experts on labour issues, to make safety and decent work the guiding priorities for the future of our industry,” concluded Nelson.
