Brussels, 27/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Airline sector employees have noted Thursday 30 January in their diaries. On this date, the Parliamentary transport committee (TRAN) will be voting on the Single European Sky 2 + package, which seeks to boost implementation of the single sky agreement. In response to a call by European trade unions, a number of demonstrations have been planned in around ten different countries in Europe urging the “human factor pillar” be taken into account in the way the European single sky is set up.
The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF), air traffic managers and air traffic controllers have decided to organise a day of action to call on MEPs to put a brake on “dogmatic” liberalisation of air traffic control services. The political secretary of the ETF, François Ballestero, also indicated that the performance scheme included in the European single sky is “dominated by a continuing cost reduction in which safety is not considered to be the top priority”. He also rejects the unbundling of support services, which fails to take into account the integrated public service role. The unions are calling for the “human factor pillar” to be made binding in the European single sky agreement, so that collective agreements are respected. (MD/transl.fl)