THE Unite union is warning that workers must not be expected to meet the costs of the disruption brought by the erupting Icelandic volcano.
The union stated yesterday that ‘With the COBRA committee developing plans to repatriate UK nationals home and airlines seeking emergency aid to bridge the heavy financial losses incurred by grounded flights, Unite says concerted action to save jobs right across aviation is needed too.’
Ahead of the Scottish TUC (STUC) debate Brian Boyd, Unite national officer for civil aviation said: ‘We fully recognise that the UK civil aviation industry is facing an unprecedented situation and we are sensitive to this, particularly in this tentative economic climate.
‘But it is also important to recognise the impact on people employed in this sector. As the skies reopen, standards of health and safety in accordance with the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) and Met Office instructions should be fully adhered to. There are no short cuts to a safe working environment.
Furthermore, we urge that the employment conditions of the workforce are at the heart of any financial assistance received by airlines.’
The union states ‘workers may face increasing pressure to agree to widespread cost-saving changes from an industry desperate to stem huge losses racked up in the recent week.
‘Unite fears that some companies, particularly those in the ground services sector who have been hit hardest by the five days of disruption, will look to employees to cut costs, including asking them to take unpaid leave, and that without government assistance jobs will be lost.’
Steve Turner, Unite national officer for civil aviation said: ‘We understand the difficulties this extraordinary situation has placed upon the sector but it is not acceptable to ask workers to pay with their wages or their jobs.’
However the union is not opposed to voluntary unpaid leave and states ‘Should an employer seek to impose such a measure we will offer the full support of this union to defend our members.’
The union has also written to the secretary of state for transport, Lord Adonis, to ask that he takes all possible steps to alleviate the tremendous pressure on the industry, said to be costing the sector some £130 million per day.’
It does not deal with the issue that aid on that scale will see the bosses and government seeking to sack tens of thousands of workers.
Unite also refuses to call for the nationalisation of the industry, the only policy that can defend wages and jobs.