On the 17th of October, the annual EurECCA Conference took place in Lisbon. A new Board has been elected:
– Groeneveld, Annette (VNC)
– Basarot, Corinne (STAVLA)
– Gautier, Xavier (SNPNC)
– Vieira da Cruz Mesquita Diana Isabel (SNPVAC)
– Schwerthelm, Stefan (UFO)
– Processi, Massimiliano (ANPAC)

Executive board members :
– President: Annette GROENEVELD
– Vice-President: Corinne BASAROT
– Secretary-General: Xavier GAUTIER

Annual EurECCA conference on the 16th of May 2018

The annual EurECCA- conference took place on the 16th of May at our founding member union SNPVAC in Lisbon, Portugal.

This conference focussed on the various developments within Ryanair and their decision to start talks with cabin crew unions. The members discussed the many different situations in the relevant countries and how the members unions adjusted their individual strategy in the discussions with Ryanair.

The two main issues are on the one hand the successful and historic strike in Portugal by our union SNPVAC, on the other hand, the ongoing negotiations of our Italian union ANPAC. The two developments clearly show the different settings the union are in. The conference jointly set up a working group on transnational airlines to exchange views and to share relevant information and developments in the various countries. The newly elected Executive Committee will conduct an assignment for that working- group soon.

An important issue was the welcoming of a new member union from Greece. The cabin crew only union R.A.C.U. applied for membership and after going through the necessary legal procedures the conference adopted their application and welcomed then as a new full member union.

Due to our statues, the board was open for election. The new board consists of :

• Annette Groeneveld- VNC
• Corinne Basarot- STAVLA
• Luciana Passo- SNPVAC
• Micaela Strippoli- UNSA
• Christoph Drescher- UFO
• Xavier Gautier- SNPNC
• Massimiliano Procesi- ANPAC

The Executive Committee consists of

• Christoph Drescher- President
• Luciana Passo- Vice- President and
• Xavier Gautier – General Secretary.

EurECCA’s structure

The EurECCA Conference is entitled all powers to cary on the objectives of EurECCA. It meets at least once a year at a date and place stipulated by the Board. The EurECCA Conference will serve as a general assembly for decisions legally prescribed and for the appointment of the President, Vice-President and General Secretary as well as the other members of the Board. The Conference also decides on constitutional changes, membership and budget and subscription decisions.

The Board:
EurECCA is managed by the Board. The Board is comprised of at least 3 members up to a maximum of 7. Board members can come from full members only. The Board has 3 executive directors, a President, Vice-President and a General Secretary, coming from different members and different countries. All Board members will act collectively on behalf of all the members and in the interest of EurECCA.

Working Groups:
The Working Groups assist in the decision making of the Board. They mainly focus on technical aspects and do not have any decision making power as such. All full members can delegate Working Group members that will work together under a protocol and a responsible Board member to prepare EurECCA positions on topics that support EurECCA’s objectives.

Membership to EurECCA:
All professional European cabin crew unions, whether independent or affiliated to a national union can apply for full membership of EurECCA. National unions in which the cabin crew section has the majority position and cabin crew unions from any other state bordering the EU and having close legislative and economic relations in the aviation sector can apply for full membership.
Full members hold a membership vote and card votes according to their number of affiliates.
Cabin crew unions or associations who do not fullfil the requirements for full membership can become an associated member. They enjoy a consultative status.

A closer look at EurECCA´s principals 

All flight attendants count
At the core of EurECCA´s values is the single cabin crew member and its promotion. All we do, we do with a clear focus on the improvement of the living and working conditions of cabin crew in Europe. Through its independence and its open, inclusive policy, EurECCA gives a voice to those interests of cabin crew which are not heard in the European policy making process and politics in general. EurECCA gives these people and their interests a voice because every single cabin crew member counts.

Connecting Europe
EurECCA has been founded to articulate and develop the interest of affiliated national cabin crew unions on the European level. Therefore EurECCA tries to reduce the gap between independent unions in the EU and decision makers and policymakers in Brussels. As the European Union policy has become more important than nations policy, EurECCA is essential to influence European politics beyond national boundaries. By always respecting the different national frames and challenges in the respective countries, EurECCA connects between national and European policy by exchanging information and different experiences.
Furthermore EurECCA connects cabin crews already represented and those working under unfair conditions in numerous European countries.

EurECCA policy areas
EurECCA concentrates on different policies such as Flight Time Limitation (FTL), European cabin crew license, working contracts as well as occupational health and safety matters.
EurECCA also offers a platform for exchanging information and for coordinating transnational tasks on working and pay conditions.