Transport

Prospect represents workers across the transport sector including in aviation – particularly in air traffic control, airports, and aircraft engineering.

It is also a major union in National Highways, the Department for Transport, the Office of Rail and Road and Transport for London.

The problem

These workers often work long hours in difficult conditions to make sure the public can get where they are going and to support economic growth.
The sector faces major changes as it decarbonises over the coming decades.

Air traffic at UK airports 2,222,000

Air traffic controllers 1,656

Average number of staff working on safety 477

What we want to see happen

In the aviation sector we want to see the government commit to:

1. A focus on building capacity, skills, technology and infrastructure

Rather than focussing on short term cost cutting, something which has happened too often in the past.

2. A clear signal that the attacks on air traffic control made by some industry leaders are unfounded and unjustified

There is no basis for attacking air traffic controllers and using them as easy scapegoats for problems caused by industry leaders’ failings. Prospect will not tolerate cheap attacks on our members, and we will continue to challenge them in the strongest possible terms.

3. A sensible expansion of infrastructure

With additional capacity used to build resilience as well as accommodate growing passenger numbers.

4. An industrial strategy for decarbonising the sector

This can support UK jobs in R&D and the supply chain, particularly in the development of new propulsion technologies and the production and distribution of hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels.

On our roads we want to see:

1. The voice of the workforce at the heart of delivering new technology

To avoid mistakes made on the delivery of smart motorways from happening again.

2. Greater alignment of transport, industrial and energy strategy

This will improve safety and protect the workforce as road transport decarbonises.

3. Continued investment in road infrastructure and maintenance

In many cases this infrastructure is operating well beyond its design capacity and expected design life creating problems for both users and the workforce.

Across the safety critical transport sector, we must have a continued commitment to a just culture across the industry including trade unions as the key voice of workers.

Prospect’s manifesto to make work better

Working with our members, we have developed an agenda to make work better in Prospect sectors and right across the economy.

Learn more