The pilots' strike at Brussels Airlines, which was initially scheduled for 23 to 27 March, has been postponed, unions announced following a meeting with the airline's management on Tuesday evening.
"Progress has been made, so we are giving negotiations a chance," stated Tim Roelandt, from the Liberal Union ACLVB.
There will be further talks between unions and management on Wednesday, aimed at finalising an agreement. However, Roelandt warned that "if there is no agreement by Wednesday, or if the negotiations turn sour, a strike may again be considered, potentially from 27 March."
While no definitive agreement has been reached, Brussels Airlines management noted that the foundations are strong enough to continue discussions.
"Two weeks ago, Brussels Airlines reported profitable annual results for the first time in four years. Covid-19 was a challenging time for the entire aviation sector and all employees had to make sacrifices to save the company. Now that Brussels Airlines is profitable again, the company understands the need to negotiate better pay conditions for all its staff. Yet, financial realities still remain fragile," the company remarked.
On 12 March, unions threatened to organise rolling "four-day block strikes once or twice a month" from 23 March due to the lack of agreement on pay conditions.
