ITF support for Ansett

Date: 19 September 2001

The following letter has been received by the ASU from the ITF (international Transport Workers Federation). The ITF have sent this letter to the Australian and New Zealand Government's as well as to the management of airlines around the world. Additionally, all ITF-affiliated unions have been sent a copy of the letter and asked to send it on to the targetted recipients on their letterheads. We thank the ITF for their efforts to garner international solidarity for Ansett workers.

Hello Dear Friends,

• Managements of airlines
• Governments Australia and New Zealand
• Star Alliance Airlines Management

Dear ######,

The Ansett situation is critical with estimated 16,000 workers directly hit and an additional 36,000 jobs indirectly at risk. This adds dramatically to the already very difficult situation in world civil aviation after the horrific and tragic events in the US.

As we have heard from the Australian trade unions, the Federal Government of Australia has not become involved enough, apart from guaranteeing minimal entitlements. Regulatory and competition policy has failed.

In addition to that, we note with great concern that Air New Zealand seems to have stripped assets of Ansett Australia, leaving the company in massive debt.

Also, the offer by the unions involved to sit down and discuss rescue operation and bargaining, aiming for saving Ansett and its jobs by ways of employee buy out has obviously not been taken seriously enough.

Still in addition hereto, the government of New Zealand has failed the company by its inflexible approach to capitalisation of Air New Zealand.

Lack of support in a competitive environment where other carriers are subsidised and encouragement of competition regardless of the consequences seem to have destroyed one of the main pillars of Australian aviation. In these days, it is more critical than ever that a healthy transport infrastructure is kept in place. It is not too late to save Ansett.

• We call upon the managements of the companies involved to urgently get back to the table, a Round Table of all interested parties, and try and to jointly fight back the ruin of Ansett Australia.
• We call upon the government of Australia to urgently step in, in order to save thousands of Australian jobs and careers.
• We call upon the government of New Zealand to urgently reconsider its position.
• We call upon the Star Alliance managements to seek urgent intervention of the alliance as it has done in the Canadian case.

Our Australian colleagues and our unions are affiliated to the International Transport Workers' Federation, which represents 600,000 aviation employees in 120 countries. We are standing side by side with our Australian brothers and sisters and is ready to support them locally as well as internationally whenever called upon.

We would appreciate a response to this letter.

For further information

Contact:	Jason Gibson
Union:	Australian Services Union - Vic MEU Private Sector Branch
Phone:	03 9342 3418
Contact Mobile:	0418 100 319
Fax:	03 9342 3499
Email:	jgibson@meupsvic.asu.asn.au
WWW:	http://www.keepansettflying.org

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