Flight attendant conflict reaches new heights

As part of a company restructure, Atlantic Airways is now demanding that flight attendants who reside in Copenhagen must now live in the Faroes.

This move has led to sharp criticism from the Danish trade union representing the airline’s cabin crew, arguing that the airline is punishing its staff by insisting that they must reside in the Faroes.

The new changes come in the wake of the contract dispute earlier this summer in which two leading representatives of the flight attendants’ union, Súlan, were dismissed after setting up their own union as a sub-branch of the Danish FPU, Flyvebranchens Personale Union (Airline Personnel Union).

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The FPU has since then been pushing for a new contract with Atlantic, but the airline and its affiliated trade union, Føroya Arbeiðsgevarafelag (the Faroese Salaried Staff Union), have refused to negotiate with non-Faroese unions.

CEO á Bergi insisted that the dismissals of the two stewardesses were in no way related to their trade union roles. She said there were “compelling reasons” for the dismissals, without adding further details.

But the FPU disagrees, and the union’s vice-chairman Anders Mark Jensen is threatening to take industrial action against the airline, as he is convinced the new steps are directly related to the dismissal of the stewardesses in June.

Translated by prosa.fo