As announced by the socialist union Setca/BBTK announced on Friday, the Brussels Airlines pilots will begin a 24-hour strike on Saturday at 5:00 a.m.. This action finds its origin in the “unacceptable behavior of management”, as stated by the Union.
About the disruption, Brussels Airlines announced Friday afternoon that the company must cancel 70 to 80% of its flights scheduled for Saturday due to its pilots' strike.
This “wildcat strike” is supported by the three unions, as per Olivier Van Camp of BBTK. The latter also specifies that this action could be followed by others “if the problems are not resolved”.
The company says travelers whose flights are canceled will be informed . They will be able to request a refund or a rebooking on another flight.
“Our teams are doing everything possible to ensure that travelers arrive at their destination as quickly as possible, in close collaboration with the other airlines of the Lufthansa group,” said Nico Cardone, spokesperson for Brussels Airlines.
They are also entitled to an amount of between 250 and 600 euros via additional European compensation, in addition to hotels, meals and reasonable expenses for passengers stranded at their destination.
The conflict concerns the “cafeteria plan”, a series of extralegal benefits that pilots receive in addition to their normal salary. According to BBTK, management refuses to index this cafeteria plan, de facto reducing the purchasing power of pilots.
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Olivier Van Camp also claims that management had promised to apply indexation after a judge ruled in favor of the unions. But she ultimately announced that she would appeal the decision.
This strike by Brussels Airlines pilots on Saturday is due to an “absolute loss of confidence” in the management of the company, said the Christian union ACV Puls/CSC.
Tim Roelandt, from the liberal ACLVB/CGSLB union, also speaks of a breach of trust.
“Management has made statements in the past which it is reversing today,” he pointed out.
The liberal union adds that there is a desire to sit down again with management, both for pilots and for ground and cabin staff.
“But we expect management to present concrete problems to us, rather than meetings that lead to nothing,” added Roelandt.
Brussels Airlines has, in response, set up a task force responsible for assessing the impact of the strike and the consequences for passengers, declared its spokesperson, Joëlle Neeb.
“Brussels Airlines remains determined to be one of the best employers in Belgium and remains open to constructive dialogue with unions. We will not share further details of these exchanges,” the airline continues.
“The strike is not a solution to the conflict. On the contrary, it has a negative impact on our business and weighs on future investments. We call on the unions to join us around the table to continue discussions and avoid avoidable damage to Brussels Airlines.
Brussels Airlines has already experienced several strikes in recent years, but these generally had more to do with issues of hardship and work-life balance.
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