ITF backs Vietnam air safety probe

Date: 22 January 2010

The International Transportworkers Federation (ITF) today backed the Transport Workers Union of Australia's (TWU) plans to investigate reports of alleged safety shortcomings involving Australian-owned airlines operating out of Vietnam.

The TWU has notified the Vietnamese government of its intention to send a delegation to the country to check on the reports. It will be made up of representatives of the TWU, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) and the ITF, along with an independent observer.

ITF Civil Aviation Secretary Gabriel Mocho said: "We will be honoured to accompany our Australian colleagues on this mission. Safety is paramount in the aviation world and any reports that it might be being compromised must be actively checked. The TWU are right to be concerned, and have moved decisively to get involved in seeing what is going on."

TWU National Secretary Tony Sheldon commented: "The TWU has been investigating the Qantas group of companies for alleged safety breaches for a number of months now. Unions want to investigate how a Qantas subsidiary is behaving overseas, and our members have also asked us to look into whether or not Vietnamese, Australian and International Labour Organization standards are being followed."

For further information

Contact:	Sam Dawson.
Union:	ITF press officer
Phone:	+ 44 (0)20 7940 9260
Email:	dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
WWW:	http://www.itfglobal.org/

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