COMMUNITY SEAFARERS
Following a recent decision by the Commission, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) slammed the European Union for missing a golden opportunity to link state aid for the shipping industry to the creation of jobs and the improvement of training for Community seafarers. For seafarers’ unions, this is a missed opportunity to build on the success of positive measures for European shipping and ensure jobs growth for Europeans.
The ETF wishes to recall that the original intentions of State Aid Guidelines (SAG) for maritime transport were to encourage the (re)flagging to Members States registers and to keep the maritime know-how in Europe by enhancing and protecting the employment for European seafarers. Ironically enough, the Commission itself recognised in a Communication[1] the need to improve the guidelines and examine the “feasibility of a reinforced link between the employment for European seafarers and the aid”. And yet, despite these reassurances, it is regrettable to see that the Commission favoured the “do noting” option by leaving the EU maritime SAG unchanged. “This is as a body blow for the industry which will allow shipping companies to continue to exploit the tonnage tax for their own purposes while putting little or nothing back” said Philippe Alfonso, ETF Political Secretary responsible for Maritime Transport, stressing that “too many Community seafarers were working on a permanent basis on-board EU-flagged vessels trading between EU ports”.
However, after 4 years of gathering proof from industry and ETF affiliated unions, there is overwhelming evidence that the existing state aid regime, both in the form of fiscal incentives – such as the tonnage tax and labour cost subsidies and reduction of wage taxes for instance – has had too little impact on training and employment of European nationals. Against this background, there is a strong case for closing loopholes in the way such fiscal incentives are utilised. That is why the ETF repeatedly called on the Commission to take advantage of the 2011 review of SAG for allowing the granting of subsidies on condition that aid recipients demonstrate EU taxpayers’ money is resulting in job opportunities for EU nationals, for both ratings and officers, and more training, including more cadet berths.
It is also very disappointing to see that the SAG review deliberately ignored a long-lasting demand from the ETF, i.e. to reflect on who should be characterised properly as a “bona fide” Community seafarer, as the current definition of “Community seafarers” used by the European Commission – all seafarers liable to taxation and/or social security contributions in a Member State – is unacceptable and its legal validity is dubious. The ETF will keep on campaigning against the current definition whose application in a national context has led to unacceptable abuses. “Whilst it is worth noting that DG Competition has at least endorsed the concept ofstate aid to maritime transport, it is highly disappointing that they did not deem it necessary to tighten the state aid guidelines in respect of defining European seafarers, when what is really needed is a definition which clearly states that only nationals residing on a permanent basis in a particular Member State should be regarded as Community seafarers”, said Philippe Alfonso.
The ETF remains more determined than ever to ensure that its legitimate claims are heard and will publicly question the Commissioner for competition, Joaquín Almunia, to make him understand that it is not an unreasonable requirement to insist that tax incentives should generate jobs growth for European citizens, otherwise the skills basis in Europe, upon which the European maritime cluster depends, will suffer.
For more information, please contact:
Philippe Alfonso, ETF Political Secretary for Maritime Transport, p.alfonso@etf-europe.org, +32(0)22854584, +32(0)496657915
[1] COM (2009) 8 final on the strategic goals and recommendations for the EU maritime transport policies until 2018.
FROM AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT:
***NATS staff take protest to Brussels
Posted on October 14, 2013 by Aimee Turner
Staff working within NATS, the UK’s air traffic control provider, will demonstrate outside the European Parliament today against the new Single European Sky (SES 2+) legislative programme which staff fear will lead to large job losses and jeopardise safety.
Members of the Prospect and PCS unions in NATS will join other air traffic management (ATM) unions affiliated to the European Transport Federation, at a demonstration timed to coincide with a meeting of the Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee, which is responsible for SES 2+.
The Single European Sky project is aimed at improving air traffic service through legislation, technology, new practices and airspace changes, moving to functional blocks rather than national borders.
The unions claim that through SES 2+ the European Commission, which sets the legislation, is looking to link the proposals to stringent performance targets. These, they say, would halve air traffic management costs by 2020 by imposing a specific economic model onto the safety infrastructure without proper consideration.
NATS’ unions members fear this will lead to mandatory centralising and outsourcing of support services, such as communications, navigation and surveillance systems, a poorer service to airlines and passengers, increased conflict between cost and safety and the widespread loss of jobs in addition to the UK losing control over its own airspace.
The 14 October demonstration is the latest step in the campaign by NATS staff, which has already resulted in over 100 responses to letters sent to British MPs and Members of the Scottish Parliament.
NATS staff have also met UK Department for Transport representatives to express their strength of feeling over the plans, in particular proposals to separate support and navigation services, which has led Prospect and PCS, the unions representing them, to consider industrial action.
Prospect national secretary Emily Boase said: “The effects of SES 2+ will not only be felt by our members, but also colleagues across Europe who are concerned that the requirement to separate air navigation from all other air traffic services will break the safety chain and lead to a breakdown in accountability, as we have seen previously in the railway industry. Air passengers would see a miniscule cost saving in return for a much poorer service.
“It is vital that the UK government adds its voice to those of the French and German governments and opposes these plans. Without significant opposition this draft legislation could become law as early as spring 2014.”
PCS official Jeremy Gautrey added: “The European Commission is seeking to introduce legislation that does not have the support of staff working in the ATM industry, many national ATM providers or many European member states. The Commission must listen and take note of staff working in ATM, or risk causing significant industrial unrest across the whole of Europe.
“While we support a more efficient ATM system, it must not be at the expense of jobs and safety. The UK’s safety record and service is one of the best in Europe and this could be jeopardised by this ill-thought through legislation which, so far, has attracted little support.”
Prospect represents 3,000 people working as controllers, systems engineers, scientists and specialists. PCS represents 1,000 NATS operational, managerial and support staff.