On September 2, ground workers for airline Méxicana de Aviación (Mexicana Airlines), Mexico’s largest airline, held a protest in the Tampico terminal, demanding that the enterprise resume work and warning that they would not let it close down.

Mexicana Airlines suspended all flights on August 28 in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings. The airline filed for bankruptcy on August 2.

Ground workers belonging to the National Syndicate of Transportation, Transformation, Aviation, Service and Related Workers (SNTTTAS) also issued a statement defending their rights. They pointed out that there are 9,000 passengers being carried monthly from the Tampico airport by its low-cost domestic service Click Mexicana, which is not involved in the bankruptcy filing. Read more...

On 24 August, represantatives from transport unions Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) met to discuss the first ever joint strike between the two unions on London Underground. This was in opposition to the plans to cut 800 jobs of station staff and to close ticket offices. Atilay Aycin sent the following message to the workers on strike and to their trade unions.

Some 10,000 members of RMT and TSSA went on strike on 6 September. An indefinite overtime ban for all London Underground members of both unions will also start on 6 September. Read more...

Workers at Biman Bangladesh Airlines have won better pay and working conditions following a protest to oppose new pay scales which exclude pension entitlements.

On August 31, Biman workers rallied at the national carrier’s headquarters in Dhaka and also complained that while they were offered a 25-30 percent pay rise, government employees’ pay has been doubled.

After occupying the offices for six hours, a spokesman for the airline’s society of engineers said that the new Biman pay scale would be cancelled and the issue discussed at the company’s board meeting on September 2. Read more...

In August Turkey’s inflation rate rose to 8.33 percent due to an overall increase in food prices, a recent report has shown.

Inflation accelerated from 7.58 percent the month before, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), said on its website Friday. This increase rate was above market expectations.

Monthly change in Consumer Price Index (CPI) was realised by 0.40 percent. Read more...

Spainish air traffic controllers have decided to call off the strike planned at the end of August and will resume negotiations with Spanish airport authority Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegacion Aerea (AENA).,

The head of communications for the air traffic controllers’ union Unión Sindical de Controladores Aéreos (USCA) Cesar Cap stated, "The executive committee has decided not to exercise the right to strike during the month of August in order to demonstrate responsibility." Read more...

The ITF has expressed alarm over the Pakistani government’s decision to invoke legislation against workers at a Pakistani airline. The move follows steps taken by pilots to observe safety measures.

In a statement released on 3 September, the ITF urged the Pakistani government to renege on its decision to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act 1958 in relation to workers represented by the ITF-affiliated Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA). The legislation may typically be used to intimidate workers and to prevent industrial action in the name of ensuring that essential services are maintained. The pilots, employed by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), have been working to rule to ensure that safety measures are adhered to. Read more...

British Airways (BA) cabin crew are considering a fresh wave of strike action if no resolution is reached soon over ongoing issues concerning jobs and contractual agreements.

One of the biggest barriers to a resolution is the airline's refusal to fully reinstate travel perks stripped from thousands of cabin crew who joined 22 days of walkouts this year.

Unite's joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said in an email to members that proposals to return the perks, and involve Acas in disciplinary proceedings against staff, had been turned down by the airline. Read more...

On August 29 the “collective consultative talks” between public civil servants’ unions and the Turkish government ended.

Pro-government and implicitly Islamist the Civil Servants’ Trade Union (Memur-Sen) signed a deal with the government. Two of the three unions –namely the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) and the Turkish Public Workers' Labour Union (Kamu-Sen)- in the talks declined to sign it.

The collective bargaining between the government and the unions started on August 15.

The agreement doesn't contain a clause aiming protection of real wages in case of rise in inflation beyond the targets. Read more...