Scab recruitment effort adds turbulence to airline cabin crew labour dispute

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Emotions in the labour dispute between Finnish airlines and the Finnish Cabin Crew Union (SLSY) reached a peak last week when the employers' side sent staff members letters and e-mail messages earlier this month asking about their willingness to work during a possible strike.
      Flight attendants of the Finnish airlines Finnair, Blue1, and Air Finland have threatened to go on strike on Saturday, March 26th if no settlement is reached before that.
     
"Each person can independently decide on whether or not to work during industrial action declared by a trade union regardless of whether or not that person is a member of the organisation in question", reads the letter, a copy of which came into the possession of Helsingin Sanomat. Included is a questionnaire asking if the employee would be willing to work during a labour dispute, and if the employee would also accept changes in work schedules.
      Helsingin Sanomat has learned that similar enquiries had been put to employees of Blue1 and Air Finland.
     
Employee reactions on a Finnair intranet message board ranged from polite refusal of the work offer to angry denunciations of the effort to recruit strikebreakers.
      Words such as "arrogant", "insulting", and "degrading" abounded.
      There were also expressions of sarcastic "gratitude" at the airline’s move, which was seen to have reinforced the flight crews’ resolve in the dispute.
     
Finnair has reportedly received about ten positive responses to the inquiry. The airline has about 1,600 flight attendants, 1,300 of whom are in active service.
      The dispute particularly with Finnair focuses on issues of working hours and rest times. The employers’ side wants to increase cabin crew working-hours from the present level.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Flight attendants´ strike postponed by two weeks (9.3.2005)
  Finnair and Blue1 flight attendants threaten strike in March (25.2.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat