Member Mail December 2009
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
LTSW and Jet Aviation: Staff cuts rash or justified?
Swiss: Staff manager replaced; 2009 bonus in appreciation of your services
Shift system: Swiss in negotiation with SEV-GATA
2010 Membership fees remain unchanged
New Year’s “apéro” on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 in Basle, on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 in Zurich
Dear members,
During the advent season a ray of hope can be seen to emerge: economy is recovering. We’ll have to count with setbacks again over the coming months though. It is expected that the unemployment rate will continue to rise. The aviation sector won’t be spared. While Swiss will tide over fairly well, Jet Aviation and LTSW already started making redundancies.
LTSW and Jet Aviation: staff cuts rash or justified?
Many companies are currently in a difficult situation. Will they be able to hold out over the crisis with the same amount of staff or will they have to take decisive measures? Swiss Gov-ernment currently offers simplified procedures to introduce short-time work. This may be a functional solution to avoid redundancies and to safeguard the know how.
LTSW has decided to make individual separations, Jet Aviation has voted for rigorous staff cuts. SEV-GATA is convinced that if we remain at our post over the crisis, we will start out from a strong initial position and will be prepared for the future economic upswing: Only companies having enough capacity, good quality and competent employees will be prepared to really take advantage from the upswing. Of course during the current cutback measures our members are given the full support of the union.
A meeting is scheduled with Jet Aviation employees for 13 January 2010. Whenever our members call for help we will be available to discuss any union’s reactions.
Swiss: Personnel manager replaced
The new Swiss personnel manager, Reto Schmid, is not coming into an easy inheritance. “The working conditions of ground staff are very difficult, and a pay rise has been long over-due”, says SEV-GATA president Philipp Hadorn. In addition a wage system guaranteeing transparency and equal treatment is still missing.
In summer 2004 former Swiss staff manager, Kurt Renggli, had promised ground staff union SEV-GATA to pay back the concessions made to the crisis-shaken Swiss by the employed as soon as the “turn-around” would have been achieved. If Swiss did not keep its promise – after the unions had voluntarily adjusted their current collective labour agreement – he said that he would take the necessary steps. End September 2004 Kurt Renggli left Swiss.
In 2005 Anthonio Schulthess succeeded him as Swiss personnel manager. Pending problems were mostly denied and new CLA talks turned out to be difficult. Whenever the union representatives took up their activities, they were threatened with legal action. Only after an additional person was put in charge by Swiss to deal with the unions, the relationship between the two social partners returned to normal. With Reto Schmidt on top of human resources SEV-GATA expects, that they will now talk about the promised “pay back” to ground staff and work out a calculable wage-system with up-to-date wages.
Swiss: 2009 bonus in appreciation of your services
Although Swiss is still in the black, the profit sharing model (GBM) does not provide a distri-bution to the employed in the present profit situation. In an open atmosphere SEV-GATA was able to negotiate a bonus of CHF 900 (full time work) including gifts for the employed in ap-preciation of the “good work done in a difficult situation”. In autumn 2010 regular wage nego-tiations will have to be held again according to the agreement.
Shift system: Swiss negotiating with SEV-GATA
On invitation of those concerned SEV-GATA discussed the current situation of the shift workers in Zurich. The well-attended meeting ended up with SEV-GATA being officially given the order and brief, to represent the shift workers’ interests. Swiss employees were elected to the delegation, lead by Regula Bieri, too. For the time being there are no concrete changes available, however SEV-GATA will be actively involved in the process. This development is very welcome, because we are convinced that acceptable solutions can only be achieved, if the unions are actively involved.
2010 Membership fees: unchanged
SEV/SEV-GATA is going to take care of the interests of the employed and continue with the new aviation project. Together with our members we keep fighting for the employees’ inter-ests building up a solid basis for fair negotiations with the companies.
At the same time we keep linking up with international unions, which is imperative. Being part of ETF and ITF (the European and international umbrella organization) we try to create a social framework for air traffic personnel.
Inspite of rising costs the committees of SEV and SEV-GATA decided not to raise the membership fees.
New Year’s Apéro on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 in Basle, on Wednesday, 13 January 2010 in Zurich
SEV-GATA committee invites all members and interested persons for a drink on Tuesday, 12th January 2010 in Basle (entrance hall of main building Swiss/LTSW) and on Wednesday, 13th January 2010 in Zurich (canteen Swiss building, Obstgarten 25), both at 16.00 o’clock. On this occasion you can exchange ideas and discuss the current situation. Of course we want to drink a toast to the New Year, too.
Calendar campaign: Over the last weeks committee members and SEV-members have dis-tributed more than 2000 calendars to those employed in the aviation industry. Many thanks. In numerous talks and meetings we were shown a large interest in the union movement.
SEV-GATA is going to take care of your interests also in the New Year. SEV-GATA, a mem-bership that pays.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010 with all my heart.
With “committed” regards,
SEV-GATA, your aviation union
Philipp Hadorn, president
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