Eight European transport ministers have issued a joint declaration calling for “socially responsible” air transport in Europe. The underlying goal is to strike a balance in European aviation between economic and competition law aspects on the one hand and social and employee law aspects on the other.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal have signed the document “COVID-19 Recovery: Towards Socially Responsible Connectivity”. The Cockpit Association welcomes this initiative and calls for broad recognition of the goals by all EU member states and for all of Europe. 

Germany, of all places, is still leaving the pen and is not participating in the initiative for the time being. “On the German side - also against the background of the current Council Presidency - we would have liked to have signed the declaration. We hope to be able to sign it after the Council Presidency. A clear commitment from Germany to strong employee rights and social security is an important and necessary signal for German as well as all European employees, ”the circular said.

“We warmly welcome this initiative. This declaration is a necessary step in restarting air traffic in Europe and we hope for broad support in politics and society. Of course we are disappointed that Germany is not going along with this important initiative, but Europe will also find its way to more justice in this way. The imbalance between employers and employees must now be addressed. Otherwise we run the risk that the problems will worsen and perpetuate after the crisis. Instead of dumping wages, flight from collective bargaining agreements or forced bogus self-employment and other precarious employment relationships, we need fair wages, secure jobs and communal cooperation. That helps the employees and thus also strengthens the economy and society ”, says Markus Wahl, President of the Cockpit Association.