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On 13 September, a successful warning strike by Malév pilots put an end to an unlawful situation that was on the verge of leading to highly undesirable consequences on aviation safety and working conditions. Once more, solidarity among pilots proved to be the only key able to reopen communication with Malév Management. ECA welcomes the decision of the airline to agree on a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) and reiterates that any successful company must be based on a strong, trusting and transparent relationship between union representatives and management.

Following the re-nationalisation of the company in March 2010, and termination of their CLA, Malév pilots were not able to negotiate new terms and conditions with their management. As the airline had been operating without a CLA, making unilateral decisions on the rules to be implemented, HUNALPA (Hungarian Pilots’ Association) appealed to the Civil Aviation Authority and the Court of Justice, but both denied them their collective rights of negotiations.

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Malév Pilots' Warning Strike, 13 Sept 2010

Despite these drawbacks, Malév pilots remained united and organised a well-followed warning strike on 13 September, which led Malév to agree a 6-month CLA, valid until March 2011.

This demonstrates – yet again – that unity and solidarity among pilots can achieve good results.

ECA welcomes the decision of Malév management to sign this agreement and encourages it to continue on the same path in order to reach a balanced and fair CLA in March 2011. ECA is convinced that commercial success and high safety standards in the aviation business can best be achieved by an open dialogue between management and the representatives of their most committed category of staff: pilots! Good people management practices are a necessary foundation of a successful company. At the same time, national authorities must ensure a stable and strong legal framework to guarantee the implementation of European and National legislation, to ensure CLAs are respected, and to encourage social partners to work together!

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Malév Pilots' Warning Strike, 13 Sept 2010