Contesting the crisis - Aviation industrial relations and trade union strategies after 11 September

Geraint Harvey and Peter Turnbull, International Transport Workers' Federation, 49-60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DS, 44 pages, free

The 11 September tragedy triggered thousands of job losses in aviation, but employers have been accused of taking advantage of the situation to push through cost-cutting plans. The workforce has been used as a "shock absorber" to protect the industry from market cycles, and labour relations have deteriorated.

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) makes the case for a new approach to labour management, coupled with more effective regulation. It points out that aviation workers play a vital role in safety, security, reliability and customer service, and a workforce that can be "verified as qualified and competent" should be valued as such by employers.