2023-12-25 20:56:00
A new wildcat strike disrupted air traffic at Brussels Airport on Saturday evening. And, the icing on the cake, we should not exclude other movements of discontent in the coming days. On December 23, the Skeyes air traffic control service was affected from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This unexpected social action was triggered by the staff of the Zaventem control tower. Around twenty landings were disrupted, with the planes concerned having to redirect to other Belgian and European airports. So many departures were affected.
What might justify such a wildcat strike on Christmas Eve? Management mentions an employee’s leave request sent late. The unions, for their part, denounce a more general problem linked to the organization of timetables. Social instability is becoming the norm in the airline industry. The year 2023 will have been particularly unbearable for passengers. The proliferation of strikes and threats of strikes at Ryanair, Brussels Airlines and Aviapartner, whether among pilots, cabin crew, technicians or baggage handlers, is enough to get on the nerves of customers. These wildcat strikes might often have been avoided if unions and management regained normal and constructive relations.
Are we going to witness this chaos for a long time without reacting? Isn’t it time to limit wildcat strikes as little as possible in order to prevent the slightest disagreement from turning into chaos in the Belgian sky? The right to strike is a fundamental right, but it must be respected, exercised without abuse, following negotiations and with the minimum of restraint. It is not acceptable that vacation periods are systematically used by unions to put pressure on management. It is the credibility of the sector that is at stake, starting with that of the national airport. If airline workers do not want to see their passengers organize all their trips from Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam in the future, they should think regarding reviewing their methods and showing greater respect for travelers who fly with family or join their loved ones for Christmas.
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