The European Parliament's Transport Committee today rejected Commission plans for European groundhandling services. In adopting this amendment of rejection the Committee effectively binned the Commission's draft new groundhandling services regulation.

GUE/NGL MEP Sabine Wils, who tabled the amendment of rejection along with a cross-party group of MEPs, commented:

"The Transport Committee rejected by a majority the Commission's proposal on further liberalisations of ground handling services. This was an important and good first NO to social dumping and wage undercutting at European airports, made possible by the diverse activities of the workers concerned and their unions, like yesterday's demonstration in front of the European Parliament in Brussels.

Now it is important to achieve a decisive rejection of the proposal in plenary so resistance must continue. A European Union for the people not profit requires a departure from the self-destructive EU 2020 strategy, deregulation, liberalisation and austerity."

The amendment of rejection was adopted with 22 votes for and 20 against, with two abstentions.