Brussels Airlines Pilots File Indefinite Strike Notice
The announcement follows a meeting between airline management and union representatives earlier this week over working conditions.
Unions representing the Belgian flag carrier Brussels Airlines pilots have issued an indefinite strike warning. The dates will likely coincide with the summer holidays, and further details will be announced next Wednesday (June 15th).
The announcement came after representatives of the three unions met with Brussels Airlines leadership on Tuesday (June 7th) to discuss options for resolving ongoing working condition issues. Maaike Andries, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines, expressed optimism about continuing the negotiations:
“We regret that the conciliation meeting with the social partners on Tuesday, June 7 did not result in an agreement.
“We hope that the discussions with the social partners can still be continued in order to find effective solutions for the coming summer. A strike at the beginning of the summer would come at the worst possible time for our passengers, for all our colleagues and for our company which is still trying to climb out of the red every day.”
The issuing of a strike notice does not necessarily preclude industrial action. The unions are now waiting for a response from Brussels Airlines’ management.
A second strike notice within the year
A recent survey found that 90% of pilots supported a strike. All three of Belgium’s labor unions, The socialist trade union BBTK, the Christian trade union ACV, and the liberal trade union ACLVB have backed the action. The unions claim that management at Brussels Airlines and parent Lufthansa Group have not worked to resolve the issues raised or improve working conditions.
Pilots also went on strike at the end of last year over working conditions and pay. The strike canceled almost half of the flights on the first day of Belgium’s Christmas holidays. Around a quarter of passengers through Brussels Airport were affected, amounting to roughly 3,500 flyers. The strike cost the airline €2.5 million ($2.82 million), a charge which it previously threatened to charge the unions.
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