As the government considers changing a 60-year-old law to exclude airline pilots from the definition of workmen,making it illegal for them to form trade unions and go on strike,heres how other countries handle strikes by pilots. US: The Federal Law makes it very difficult for railway and airline employees to strike. Under the Railway Labor Act,airline employees must participate in a lengthy mediation process expressly designed to force a resolution before they can strike. If mediation fails,the President may order a 60-day cooling-off period during which airline workers must return to work if he feels a strike would substantially disrupt the national transportation system. If this fails,Congress may force both sides to accept a settlement,or may extend the cooling-off period indefinitely. This is what happened to American Airlines pilots when President Bill Clinton ordered the cooling-off period four minutes after American Airlines pilots went on strike in 1997. The pilots were forced to accept a settlement. FRANCE: Has a minimum service law in place for public transport which requires those proposing to strike give 48 hours notice to the transport operator,and stipulates that after eight days strike employers have the right to ask that a ballot of workers takes place. However,no definition of minimum service is given in the law,and there is no obligation on workers to abide by the ballot results. These provisions apply only to the French railways,bus and metro systems and not to the operation of air and sea ports. UK: Labour laws require pilots unions to provide the airline with a seven-day advance notice before proceeding on strike. CHINA: The Chinese government controls all four major airlines Air China,China Southern,China Eastern and Hainan Airline and keeps a tight leash on pilots,in much the same way it runs the military. In fact,Chinese airlines enlist pilots from the military. This is despite market liberalisation in 2004,which allows small,privately-run airlines to set up shop.The lifetime employment contract has become the noose around the neck of most dissatisfied pilots. Even when pilots succeed in leaving their jobs,they can be forced to pay vast sums of money to employers on the way out.
