Unite condemns the sacking of union leaders by LOT Polish Airlines
17th September 2009
Unite, the UK’s largest aviation union, has today (Thursday,
17th September) written to the president of LOT Polish Airlines
condemning the airline's actions in dismissing the presidents of
its two largest trade unions.
The two were dismissed along with other colleagues, while
defending their members’ interests in negotiations with the
company, over its reaction to the current economic crisis and LOT’s
demands for pay cuts and dismissals totalling 15 per cent of the
workforce.
Apart from being provocative anti-union actions, their
dismissals are in direct breach of Polish employment legislation as
well as standards laid down by the UN’s International Labour
Organisation (ILO) in Convention 135.
Steve Turner, Unite national officer for aviation and president
of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (Aviation Section),
condemned the actions of LOT saying that: “This is completely
unacceptable behaviour. LOT will never survive its current
difficulties, caused by the global recession, by using the tactics
of aggression, intimidation, harassment and dismissal against its
greatest resource, its workforce.”
“Unite will join colleagues at the ITF and ETF in calling for
international solidarity in defence of our Polish colleagues. We
will not allow proud fighters for workers rights to be starved into
submission. Wherever aircrafts land they must be serviced,
refuelled, catered and dispatched and in most parts of the world
this will be done by trade unionists.
“We call upon LOT to immediately reinstate dismissed employees,
re-engage with the Polish trade unions and negotiate a mutually
acceptable solution to current difficulties facing the
company.”
Unite members will join trade unionists from across Europe in a
demonstration against LOT Polish Airlines in Warsaw on 28th
September.
ENDS
For further information please contact Steve Turner on 07980
721423 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite Press Office on 020 7420
8914 or 07980 224761.
See the Support LOT
Airlines Workers campaign page
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