airports
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in transport and distribution around the world.
Norwegian airport strikes spread
A strike by workers at five Norwegian airports also shut the airport at Kristiansund over the weekend, and more flights were cancelled on Monday.
Norway's main international gateway airport at Oslo Gardermoen remained largely shielded from the labour walkout, but at least another 5,000 passengers trying to leave Oslo on flights to other Norwegian cities were stranded on Monday.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
With a planetary ecological crisis on hand, it can no longer be denied that socialism will be incompatible with mass production and mass consumption. Indeed, even without returning to Malthusian catastrophe theories, we are forced to admit that the planet’s resources are not inexhaustible. These resources could provide for humanity’s needs, but only if they are used in a reasonable and rational way, i.e., in a manner directly opposed to capitalist logic, which in itself is a source of imbalance.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
by Alternative Libertaire
Airport workers suspend hunger strike
Airport workers suspend hunger strike after union gives guarantees that their demands will be met.
The five day hunger strike by three sacked airport shop stewards, Gordon McNeill, Madan Gupta and Chris Bowyer was suspended at 5.30 this afternoon after the workers received a letter from the union solicitors guaranteeing that their demands would be met.
Two hunger strikers now in hospital
Two of the three sacked airport workers on hunger-strike outside their union offices in Belfast are now in hospital. Earlier today Gordon McNeill was rushed to hospital only to be released, Gordon and 72 year old diabetic Madan Gupta are now both in hospital.
Just hours after addressing a solidarity rally outside Transport House in Belfast hunger striker Gordon McNeill was rushed to City Hospital for treatment. An ambulance was called to the scene at Transport House due to a deterioration in his condition. Gordon is on his fourth day without food and his second day without water. Also on hunger strike are Madan Gupta and Chris Bowyer.
More strikes expected as Greece passes pension reform
Greek unions promise to continue protests against the government's pension reforms, passed on Thursday.
The pension reform raises the retirement age for women to 65 and workers in hazardous industries will have to work an extra two years. Many accuse the conservative government of going back on pre-election promises not to cut pension rights.
Alitalia workers clash with police over job cuts
Italian riot police and several hundred Alitalia Airline maintenance employees have clashed in Rome as workers protested job losses threatened by the Airline's pending sale to Air France-KLM.
No serious injuries were reported in the scuffles on Tuesday that took place as Alitalia negotiators met with unions to seek backing for the takeover. The deal, announced Sunday, requires the approval of parliament and all nine airline labor unions.
Greece heading towards general strike
Greek workers are set to go on general strike tomorrow (Wednesday 19th March) in protest of the government's planned pension reforms.
The government's reforms would mean the merging of pension funds and increasing the pension age for some workers. The government, however, has not made public any details on the size of savings that will accrue from the reforms. The trade unions have also argued that the current pension system could survive if bosses were made to pay their contributions.
Israel: El Al fires one ground crewmember suspends another for inciting wildcat
El-Al ground stewards decided to bypass the company's excess weight charge in a wildcat responding to months` neglect in addressing grievances. In retaliation, the company rooted out the alleged ring-leaders, fired one and suspended the other.
Normally, passengers wishing to enter baggage in excess of a certain weight must make additional payments. Disgruntled workers bypassed this procedure by distributing the baggage among various passengers evenly, so that none of them had excess weight.
Airport staff on strike
Strike action continues in Ireland, as airport workers threaten a national strike in India.
Air traffic controllers in Ireland have voted for 24-hour strikes this Thursday after several weeks of unofficial overtime ban. The strike, organised by the Balpa union, is likely to ground flights at all three airports.
France: workers strike, many win
Restaurant and tire workers have won strikes with a bus drivers' strike ongoing.
Michelin - Workers at the factory in Toul (Meurthe et Moselle) began strike action after plans were announced to close it down. As well as occupying and blockading the plant with pickets of burning tyres the 826 workers also confined two managers to their offices during the four-day strike.
