Unite leads fight to save Alitalia jobs
29 September 2008
Leading negotiators from Unite, the UK's biggest union, have
today (Monday) flown to Rome to take part in last-minute talks with
Italian unions working to save troubled airline
Alitalia. Unite is pressing for measures to ensure
that 300 Alitalia and Alitalia Airports jobs at Heathrow
airport are protected in plans being discussed today
to maintain the airline.
Steve Turner, a Unite national secretary for civil aviation
said: "Our members in the UK must not be forgotten or
sacrificed in any plans to restructure Alitalia. There are
300 jobs in groundhandling, check-in, ticketing, cargo,
sales and customer services that depend on a positive
outcome from today's talks. That means 300 people and their
families who are now very anxious and need their union to
fight all the way to save their jobs, and that is exactly what we
will be doing today."
Heathrow is Alitalia's largest base outside
Italy. Unite is concerned that the focus of the
proprosals before Italian unions today is to restructure the
airline, yet it remains unclear how this will impact
on the Heathrow operation.
It is expected that the talks will be concluded later
today.
ENDS
For further information contact Pauline Doyle on 07976 832
861
