2023-06-14 16:29:00
The trade union FNV has withdrawn from a consultation about protecting employees at Schiphol who are still exposed to aircraft exhaust fumes. The union sees other participants of the so-called aircraft emissions task force, such as employers such as the airline KLM and Schiphol Airport, as “not having the pace or the decisiveness needed to intervene immediately”.
The task force was set up last year and had to ensure changes at Schiphol. The employees on the platform are regularly exposed to too much exhaust fumes. “Employers know that it is likely that employees will develop heart complaints, respiratory complaints and cancer as a result. But they do too little with that knowledge,” says FNV. “Acknowledging that their employees can become ill from aircraft emissions means that they admit that they are liable.”
The union believes that “the health of employees should always be a priority”. “Our members have run out of patience: the speed must increase,” says FNV director Jaap de Bie. “Every day there are people doing unhealthy work. That can and must change. Healthy work is a fundamental right.”
Last month, the Labor Inspectorate stated that employees at Schiphol are insufficiently protected against harmful aircraft emissions. The inspectorate urged Schiphol to use ‘adequate work equipment’ to enable staff to work more safely. The degree and duration of exposure must also be reduced. But Schiphol still has a few years to do that. Schiphol CEO Ruud Sondag referred to a ‘mirror that cannot be ignored’ and said that the pace of improvements must be increased.
Read also:
Schiphol does far too little to protect the health of employees
Although it has been known since 2007 that Schiphol employees are exposed to carcinogenic substances, the airport does far too little to protect people against this. That needs to change quickly, says the Labor Inspectorate.
1686787794
#FNV #withdraws #consultation #working #conditions #Schiphol