European Pilots and Stewars Fighting for Their Jobs by Milota Sidorova

Just that day when Lufthansa's staff cancelled planned four days strike, British air company British Airways has agreed it would run the general strike. About 80 percent of 9,271 cabin crew voted for a clear action. The reason is clear as well – according proposed European Sky policy each company, such as airport should undergone a modernization. That means direct jobs cutting and reducing the wages. The year after crisis many of air companies were rethinking those steps aiming to increase their profits. But it seems the employees, doing one of the most difficult and responsible jobs in the world want to be part of the dialogue. Let's just resume the life of the pilot! . First, he has to pay more than 330,000 euro for the training and spend several years as second pilot. He has to be in perfect physical and mental shape. Each disturbance and sign of decay means the loss of the job. Being a pilot it means to take care for several hundred passengers in 10,000 meters altitude. It means to avoid the storms, turbulences and each collision possible. It also means to be sent wherever is necessary and to limit his personal life. He can be in Australia one day, but the very next day it can be Copenhagen or Moscow. Being a pilot is not a long career. Being a steward means to be a psychologist, safeguard and a model. Everything else is the same as in the pervious case. So when you read these people called the open strike, imagine real people and their work.If it happens to cross your trip, rethink, the air traffic is one of the most expensive, dangerous and most polluting way of transport. It has its cost. Take a train instead. And show them your ag! reement. I think we all agree on modernization, but also on hu! man trea ting with people assuring our safe passage whenever. Like everything else, they can't be reduced on bare numbers.

related story (sgx16551): http://www.france24.com/en/20100223-air-traffic-controller-s...

by Milota Sidorova for SigEx Ventures (http://sigexventures.com)

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