Member Mail 4 / 2015

Swiss Career Model      
License Fees     
S
taff Contentment      
L
abour Day Events           
D
ata and Information   

Dear colleagues     

The act of desperation of the Germanwings Airbus pilot, in which 150 people lost their lives, shocked everybody within the Lufthansa group, the whole industry and wide parts of the population. The accident left a void and gave rise to many questions. The effects will be felt for years to come. Swiss reacted with immediate steps. The unions offered their sincerest condolences to the bereaved. Now it is important that we consider carefully which risks could be reduced by which precautions at all in order to maintain the highest possible safety standard.

Swiss Career Model           
After repeated interventions by SEV-GATA Swiss finally acknowledged that it was contractually obliged to guarantee the co-determination of social partners „when assigning positions to function levels and wage scales for the first time“(amendment 1b to the current Ground staff CLA, comp. www.sev-gata, downloads).         

In engineering the implementation had already been carried out. Actually this means a violation of the contract. Swiss now assured us to explain these classifications and to adapt them if requested. Should this not be immediately corrected, SEV-GATA will investigate taking further legal action.

From now on the union will be involved in further classifications. Following function groups are planned: 

Operations, Commercial, Cargo, HR, Finance   

We shall see whether the integration of “Operations + Commercial“  and  “Cargo, HR and Finance“ in a group as proposed by Swiss will prove to be successful. We urgently need some members who know these departments very well and who could help us. The time spent for this job will be regarded as working hours. If you are interested, please contact me by mail () indicating your name, first name, department, function, mailing address, private address, phone (home, office and mobile) by 9 May 2015 latest. For the engineering department we have already a few committee members and representatives interested in assisting us. Here no one else is needed.   

License Fees     
The annoying story of Swiss‘ refusing to take over license fees compulsory for the mechanics  is now going into the next round. After several interventions and talks and after the petition was handed out by SEV-GATA, Swiss still refuses to review its problematic decision. For this reason SEV-GATA committee decided to take legal action in their 23 April meeting. We will keep you informed. 

Staff contentment
During the last months we have become aware that last year’s opinion poll regarding staff contentment calls for action. Upon SEV-GATA’s demand Swiss presented first results. Further exchange of ideas will follow.

Labour Day Events     
In 2015 the trade unions have called for participation in the Labour Day ceremonies for the 125. time. This year our motto is “Social justice instead of exclusion!” The presence of union members in public is most important this year: Since the minimum exchange rate of the Swiss Franc to the Euro was withdrawn, special branches of industry have got under enormous pressure. Some of the companies try to pass the risks over to their staff. This procedure must be stopped by the unions and the politicians.    

List of important 1st May events (complete list under www.sgb.ch):       

Zurich
10.00 h: meeting at Lagerstrasse (next to main station). Parade to Sechseläutenplatz. 11 - 15.00 h: demonstration at Sechseläutenplatz. Final demonstration with contributions and music program by Pamplona Grup
Address by Giorgio Tuti, SEV

B
asle          
From 10.00 h: Meeting at Messeplatz. 10.30 h: Parade via Claraplatz, Rheinbrücke to Marktplatz. 11.00 h: demonstration at Marktplatz. 12 – 19.00 h: festival site at Marktplatz with performances by Caramelo, Yagmur, Freylax‘  Orkestar and The Blackberry Brandies.
Miscellaneous speeches and slam poet Etrit Hasler    

Geneva 
11h au monument à la mémoire des Brigadistes, rue Dancet côté plaine de Plainpalais: allocutions, apéritif offert. 15h: départ du cortège du boulevard James-Fazy empruntant place des 22-Cantons, rue de Chantepoulet, rue et pont du Mont-Blanc, place du Port, rue du Rhône, rue d’Italie, rues Basses, rue de la Corraterie, place Neuve, parc des Bastions 16h à l’entrée du parc des Bastions côté place Neuve, allocutions. 17h parc des Bastions: partie festive avec un manège et des poneys pour les enfants. Dès 12h et jusqu’à 23h: restauration avec plus de 30 stands. Dès 17h sur scène: concerts et Djs en collaboration avec Jours de mAi. Au crépuscule: projection organisée par Spoutnik de «L’An 01». Retransmission des discours sur Radio Zones 93,8 Mz.
Address by Alexander Eniline, SEV       

Olten    
14.45 h: Meeting at Gewerbeschulhaus. 15.00 h: Parade via Wengibrücke, Kronenstutz to Fischergasse. From 15.30 h Festival site and entertainment,at Fischergasse. 18.00 h: Concert. 21 – 2.00 h: Disco at Restaurant Kreuz          
Address by Philipp Hadorn, SEV & Member of Swiss National Council   

Your participation is a strong signal for “social justice instead of exclusion“ and for better and safer working conditions in the airline industry.    

Further data
On 28 May 2015 the annual SEV congress will take place in Bern (delegates will get their info material directly) and on 30 June 2015 our SEV-GATA general meeting will be held (details to follow).      

Springtime – time to wake up: It’s never too late to become a member of SEV-GATA and it’s worthwhile, too. Is your workmate not yet in the union? Join SEV-GATA right away and have your say. By the way for each new member enrolled you will be transferred 50 Francs and additional recruiting bonuses to your account. All info regarding the multiple advantages of a membership can be found on www.sev-gata.ch, your declaration of membership is ready for download under http://www.sev-gata.ch/downloads/1422870055_Beitrittserklaerung_E.pdf

There is only strength in unity! Long live international solidarity!

Best regards

Philipp Hadorn, president
SEV-GATA, your union of the airline industry
Philipp Hadorn, president GATA: SEV-Aviation
/ www.sev-gata.ch /  www.sev-online.ch