24 June, 2011For the first time, a delegation of IMF affiliated unions visits the Paris Air Show, emphasizing the importance of labour in the success of the industry.
FRANCE: On June 21, the IMF Aerospace Department organized a joint visit by affiliated unions to the Paris Air Show. Many of those participating had not previously attended one of the major industry shows, which are held on alternate years in Paris and in Farnborough in the United Kingdom.
Meeting the following day to analyse their experiences, union representatives said that they were impressed by the size and scope of the Air Show, which brought together all of the major players in the industry. Participants were particularly surprised by the vast number of supplier companies that were aggressively pursuing business opportunities. Despite a strong union presence in many of the principal companies, a lot of these supplier companies were not known to the union representatives, who recognized that there are substantial organizing opportunities that should be pursued.
Another notable feature of the Air Show was the presence of countries, and even regions within countries, actively competing with each other for aerospace business.
Delegates concluded that the IMF should organize a similar delegation to attend the Farnborough Air Show in 2012. This opportunity should be used to engage positively with the industry and to create opportunities for media coverage that would focus on the success of companies that have good relationships with trade unions. IMF affiliate Unite offered to host the delegation and organize a workers' reception at the Air Show.
Experts from French research organizations ID Aero, Secafi and Syndex made presentations at the IMF meeting on current developments in the aerospace sector. The presentations showed that despite the influence of specific events such as the volcano eruption in Iceland in 2010 and the Arab Spring, long term growth in the industry remains steady. However, job creation is increasingly moving to outsourced and supplier companies and to countries which do not yet have the strong union presence in the sector that has been achieved in the countries with longer established aerospace industries.
Finally, delegates reasserted their commitment to organizing and to developing trade union networks in transnational corporations and their supply chains.