Aparajita Das 
twu shout out for flight attendants bill of rights
United States – A Flight Attendants Bill Of Rights is the order of the day when it comes to airline service staff, who are not willing to take anymore harassment and abusive behaviour from passengers. Post Covid-19, people have become unruly and difficult to deal with.
The Transport Workers Union (TWU), comprising flight attendants and essential airline workers recently held an in-person call-to-action at Harry Reid International Airport, Nevada to reiterate their need for justice.
They were trying to communicate and express their feelings and are doing so through the TWU’s nationwide campaign, that states that ‘Assault Won’t Fly’, and the need to combat the rise in assaults by unruly passengers.
Literally 72percent passengers have thrown a ruckus because they didn’t want to wear a mask. Actually, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last year logged nearly 6,000 reports of unruly passengers.
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According to the members of TWU, the bill should outline the necessary protections lawmakers should include in the legislation, such as universal safety protocols, comprehensive and clear guidelines for reporting assaults, regular training and self-defense courses for flight attendants, and increased support and transparency for airline workers who face abuse.
Those indulging in unruly behaviour do so because they know they get away with it. There is really no redressal to check their unruly behaviour. Despite the FAA’s “zero tolerance” policy, abusive passengers are often let on another flight immediately after assaulting or harassing a worker.
The campaign has also created an opportunity for airline workers to share their stories through the “Share Your Story” portal on the campaign’s website. This tool gives workers a space to share their stories and get support, as many incidents go unreported by airline workers, many of whom are afraid of being blamed or ignored.
TWU says it intends to use responses to better track incidents, provide support and guidance to workers, and advocate for greater protections for all airline workers.
