Part of Brussels Airlines’ cabin crew will be going on strike next week after long standing issues between employees and management have remained unresolved.
So far, two unions, ACV Puls and CNE have confirmed the strike from Wednesday, 28 February, to Friday, 1 March. The walk-out will fall in the middle of the one-week holiday of the French speaking school, a usually busy travel time as parents and children go on holiday together.
The BBTK and ACLVB unions, which represent the majority of the airline’s cabin crew have not confirmed the strike yet, saying they will be waiting for the result of negotiation talks scheduled for next week. BBTK’s Olivier Van Camp said they want to give the talks a chance before joining the action.
Since the possibility of BBTK and ACLVB joining the strike still exists, it is unclear what impact the action will have on Brussels Airlines’ schedule and how many flights will be affected. In the meantime, airline spokesman Nico Cardone told VRT news the management “will do everything possible to avoid a strike”.
In November last year, the unions issued an indefinite strike notice, which was supposed to materialise over Christmas. The action was cancelled after what Van Camp called a “serious and weighty proposal” was presented by the airline. However, Jolinde Defieuw of ACV Puls, has said that, despite the seemingly willingness to reach an agreement, “few concrete solutions have emerged” since December and an ultimatum from the union remained unanswered, which is what prompted next week’s strike.
A few months ago, the unions explained that, despite having the most profitable summer ever, Brussels Airlines still pays lower salaries agreed on in 2020, when the airline, affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, had to go through restructuring. Moreover, “pressure of work and a lack of rest remain, while at the same time complaints are minimalised”, Defieuw said last year.
Pilots of the airline have frequently joined cabin crew in striking over similar issues. “During the corona crisis, rest times were changed increasing workload for cabin crews and pilots. Staff are now requesting structural measures to build more rest times into their schedules”, Defieuw said. So far, the unions have given no indication as to whether pilots will be joining in next week’s strike or not.
