Following a three-day strike at Brussels Airlines that impacted 40,000 travellers last week, trade unions warn that further actions will occur if the airline’s management does not return to the negotiation table.
The airline management has threatened to postpone negotiations on easing the workload until after summer. Trade unions responded by saying that in that case, they “cannot guarantee social peace for the foreseeable future.”
Having received a proposal to renegotiate on 22 August, Paul Buekenhout of the Christian Union said: “The management wants to lift the negotiations about the holiday. That is a blow.”
“This is yet another manoeuvre to get through the summer with the heavy work schedules of the aircrew,” says Olivier Van Camp of the Socialist Trade Union. “This is unacceptable to us. We demand solutions for July, August and September.”
In addition, the company has been accused of intimidating staff when asking employees not to participate in the planned strikes.
Last week, 316 flights had already been cancelled, after which the unions demanded to speak directly with CEO Peter Gerber.
Brussels Airlines is not the only airline to face striking staff. Ryanair also saw over 180 flights cancelled due to a three-day strike by cabin crew and pilots last weekend, leaving the entire Ryanair fleet based at Zaventem and Charleroi airports grounded.
