By Rubén Tzanoff
The airlines’ thirst for capitalist profits leads to austerity for the workers and inconveniences for tourists. The European working class is carrying out more and more protest actions, like the transport strike in the UK. We must support their struggles and demand a general strike so that the capitalists pay for the crisis.
The airports of the most visited European countries during the summer are collapsed. At different levels and times, chaos reigned st the Charles De Gaulle, Orly, El Prat, Barajas and Heathrow terminals. There are crowds of people, endless queues, waits of several hours, rescheduled flights, cancellations and lost luggage. A great annoyance for those who start or end their vacations or travel for work, wasting time and money.
They put profits above all else
The problems are not only due to the increase in the demand for tickets after the limitations imposed by the pandemic. The fundamental issue is that airlines and auxiliary companies have laid off workers, reduced wages and cut labor rights. They did so with the excuse of Covid-19, without saying a word about the millions in profits accumulated in previous seasons, or about government subsidies, for example, the ERTE in Spain.
The employers are responsible for the disaster
After the worst of the pandemic had passed and with the start of the summer season, all forecasts indicated that there would be a massive recovery in demand for flights. However, the employers of the airlines did not plan even the simplest operation to respond to this: the rehiring of workers and the return of cut labor rights. It is evident that the “tightening of the belt” of the workers is not only due to the pandemic but is here to stay. While salaries do not take flight, the prices of “low cost” tickets did, as did baggage checking.
It will not be resolved with “patience” but with well-paid work and rights
The strikes are carried out by cabin staff, security and ground services of different companies such as: Ryanair, Easy Jet, Scandinavian Airlines, British Airways and Air France, among others. The International Association of Airlines (IATA) has had to apologize and says that this will be resolved with “patience”. More than excuses and calm, the situation will be resolved when companies hire personnel, pay decent wages automatically adjusted to inflation, respect workers and recompose the cut labor rights.
Strikes grow in Europe
The deterioration of living conditions of the European working class is generating struggles. For example in France, with a wave of salary strikes: airport workers, drivers of garbage trucks in Paris, SNCF, RATP, the Marionnaud perfumery chain, energy agents at EDF, RTE, Enedis, TotalEnergies, Soitec, etc. One of the most striking actions was the national strike on June 21, organized by the RMT union (National Union of Transport and Railway and Maritime Transport Workers). It was the strongest held in the United Kingdom in the last 30 years and has been called again for July 27, for better wages and working conditions.
Support the struggles and demand a general strike
With the crisis of the capitalist economy exacerbated by the pandemic and deepened by the war, the living conditions of the workers and the people are deteriorating at great speed. Inflation is eating up salaries and pensions. Meanwhile, the union leaders of the major centrals look the other way. Or they make vague threats of partial actions, as happens in the Spanish state with the UGT and CC. OO. The current moment of the labor movement demands supporting the ongoing struggles, in this case of the airport workers, uniting them and calling a general strike. With a list of demands to satisfy the immediate demands of the working people and for the crisis to be paid for by the capitalists.