Airports Organising Conference - Unions Ready for Take Off
A two day Airports Organisng Conference hosted by the German trade union Ver.di has brought together unions feom the US, Europe and Australia who are organisng airport and airline workers. The conference also features joint work and presentations by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and UNI.
Yesterdays conference featured an overview of the industry and its `choke points` with a presentation by Alice Dale head of Property Services in UNI and by Jeremy Anderson the Head of Research at ITF. The analysis allowed delegates to discuss wider strategies for engagement and even conflict with global employers in the industry. It is characterised by supply chain interdependence and increased outsourcing. The workers therefore are experiencing many of the global versions of privatisation, sub contracting, precarious work and anti union operations by bosses. But equally it is clear that this is a sector vital to the global economy but which is exploiting workers on a huge scale.
SEIU from the US gave a presentation on their work in the New York/New Jersey Airports where 12,000 workers are being unionised in an impressive local campaign to win wage increases. Featuring local community support and political lobbying the campaign has produced agreements already with Delta and United Airlines.
The German union Ver.di gave a report back on their recently successful campaign for wage increases for Security Workers in German Airports. This success featured 94% participation by membership and achieved chaos and disruption including at the enormous Frankfurt Airport. Some workers received an 18% pay rise.
The Netherlands union Bondgenoten also presented an overview of their campaign in the Schopel Airport in Amsterdam. Hundreds are being organised and a strike is taking place at the moment (see seperate report).
Deelegates will spend the second day hearing about issues with Quantas in Australia and looking at proposed mapping and reserach techniques for future global coordinated campaigns. with companies like Swissport and Menzies now controlling 10% of ground handling work the time is ripe for unions to organise th global airport industry.