4th August 2005
To:
Dear Sirs,
Request for Mutual Assistance by APLA (Argentina)
After a year of formal claims in a positive transparent attitude the Argentine Airline Pilots Association (APLA) on behalf of the pilots employed by Aerolíneas Argentinas decided to initiate industrial actions against the Airline.
Since December 2001 the pilots are claiming a salary update due to rising inflation. During this period inflation grew to a two digit number of 41%. With great efforts APLA tried to achieve a constructive dialog with no results at all during these last four years.
Aerolíneas Argentinas in the meantime, while informing excellent profits in the media to the public, declared to go ahead with their plans violating continuously the signed valid collective agreement. On the other hand punishing the families of fellow pilots, especially those who are active members of the board of APLA, in victimizing their sons of daughters, depriving them to work at Aerolíneas Argentinas, just because they are next of kin to a pilot. These human rights violating attitudes are unacceptable in any way and the pilot community really does not comprehend it and sees it as a continuous and degrading provocation to their families and to their profession.
On the 7th July 2005, mandate was given by the assembly to the board to begin industrial action. The strike was programmed for 48 hours and was supported by 98% of the pilots and qualified as “genuine” by the SIDE (Servicio de Inteligencia Del Estado) (intelligence agency of the state) meaning that he pilots were striking under free will and no pressure at all.
Although a few pilots decided to break the strike and the integrity of APLA, instructed to do so by the Ops Manager, who was expelled form APLA two years ago.
After 36 hours of a total national commercial air transport standstill in Argentina, a formal request came from the Argentinean Government to stop the strike and begin negotiations with the compromise to achieve a solution under the surveillance of the Ministry of Labour.
The result was a publication on the two major Sunday Newspapers of the supposed salaries the pilots are earning with Aerolíneas Argentinas. Salary numbers depicted where totally inaccurate false and in cases 3 to 4 times higher as the reality. Eventually one can interpret this as a tactic to put pressure on the negotiations but it was worse.
In Argentina, where kidnappings are common every day, where sometimes only a few hundred dollars are requested as ransom, one can imagine that a pilot would be a good target since anyone knows where a pilot lives, when he leaves home etc. Why? Simple, because he wears a uniform.
One fellow pilot got away with what could have been a delinquent act against him while descending form the transport, after a flight at his home and wearing his uniform.
It seems Aerolíneas Argentinas is not willing to come to an agreement.
The question is: Is the management looking for an excuse to abandon Aerolíneas Argentinas again as in the past Iberia and American Airlines did?
At 6am on the 26th of July a new strike begun and this time together with APTA (Engineers and Mechanics). Once again, taken by surprise the Airline came to a complete standstill this time with all pilots involved 100%.
After 6 hours, again, a call form the government requesting to stop action and demanding to recompose talks.
Once more, the pilots accepted the offer and agreed not to strike for a ten day period. Aerolíneas Argentinas for the second time now, agreed to negotiate and not to take action against striking pilots. Will there be a third strike with no results? The outcome is uncertain.
Therefore APLA request the implementation of the following Mutual Assistance Policies:
- Request for Ban on Extra Flights and/or Capacity (I Manual, Paragraph 2.4.1.3)
- Request for Recruitment Ban (I Manual, Paragraph 2.4.2)
- Request for Denial of Training Facilities (I Manual, Paragraph 2.4.3)
- Assistance to Pilots Stranded Away from Home Base (I Manual, Paragraph 2.4.4)
- Request for Denial of Cockpit Crew Contracting (I Manual, Paragraph 2.4.5)
- IFALPA Submissions, Representation and the Media (I Manual, Paragraph 2.4.6)
- Liaison with International Employee Organisations (I Manual, Paragraph 2.9.2)
APLA will keep IFALPA and Member Associations informed of any further developments concerning this dispute.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours faithfully,
Captain Georg Fongern
Principal Vice-President
Professional Affairs
