Labour Research February 2011

Union news

Pilots’ trade union takes off

Pilots working for the private jet-share company NetJets have formed a union called Skyshare Trade Union with approximately 600 members.

Representatives of the internationally based workforce had already set up an entity under French law called the Skyshare Association. However, because their employer, NetJets Management Ltd, declined to negotiate a collective agreement, they decided to re-establish themselves as a trade union under UK law.

Skyshare’s website explains the need for the new union and says that the existing NetJets employee forum is “run by management” and will not stop “the constant erosion of our terms and conditions”.