WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3621/97 by Giuseppe RAUTI to the Commission. Working conditions of airline crew members
Date: 1997-11-13
Institutions: European Parliament, RAUTI
Subjects: Italy, arrangement of working time, civil aviation, crew, occupational health, occupational safety, organisation of work, working conditions, working time

16. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187/29

(98/C 187/43)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3621/97

by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Subject: Working conditions of airline crew members

Is the Commission aware of the controversy raging in almost all of the Member States › Italy in particular ›
regarding the working conditions of airline crew members (pilots, flight engineers and cabin staff)?

Those concerned maintain that their working conditions have become particularly stressful owing not least to
increasingly fierce competition between airlines over recent years, which has resulted in a heavier workload for
staff. Research carried out by Professor Scano indicates that this is seriously weakening crew members(cid:146) immune
systems, increasing their vulnerability to infections (tropical diseases in particular).

Given the above, does the Commission intend to take action in support of air crews?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(21 January 1998)

As  the  Honourable  Member  is  probably  aware  the  civil  aviation  sector  is  excluded  from  Council  Directive
No 93/104/EEC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time (1).

The Commission is currently engaged in preparing proposals to regulate working time and rest periods in this
sector. Current initiatives are based on the responses to the Commission white paper of July 1997 on sectors and
activities excluded from the working time Directive. Proposals should be adopted by the Commission by summer
1998.

However,  Council  Directive  89/391/EEC  on  the  introduction  of  measures  to  encourage  improvements  in  the
safety and health of workers at work (2) requires employers, within the context of their responsibilities, to take
the  measures  necessary  for  the  safety  and  health  protection  of  workers.  One  of  the  general  principles  of
prevention on which the employer has to base the implementation of these measures is (cid:145)developing a coherent
overall  prevention  policy  which  covers  technology,  organisation  of  work,  working  conditions,  social
relationships and the influence of factors related to the working environment(cid:146) (Article 6.2(g)).

The Directive has been transposed by Italy and it is for the Italian authorities to decide how it should be put into
practice.

The Commission has identified the prevention of stress at work as an important health and safety issue, and
intends to develop guidelines on stress at work, which take into account the recommendations of the (cid:145)Report on
work-related stress(cid:146) produced by its tripartite advisory committee for safety, hygiene and health protection at
work and which is sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

The Commission believes these actions are also suitable for application to specific industries or occupations.

(1)  OJ L 307, 13.12.1993.
(2)  OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.

(98/C 187/44)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3624/97

by Luciano Vecchi (PSE) to the Commission

(13 November 1997)

Subject: Guarantees required in respect of participation in the employment initiative in Austria

As has already been pointed out in earlier questions, the Italian authorities(cid:146) decision to require non-profit-making
undertakings to provide bank guarantees in order to participate in employment initiatives has proved costly and
punitive for undertakings which obviously have difficulty in providing financial guarantees of their own.