Belgian pilots from Irish low-cost airline Ryanair have stated that they will stand in solidarity with cabin crew in the event of potential future strike action, according to an announcement by the CNE and ACV Puls Christian unions and the Belgian Cockpit Association (Beca).
Last week, cabin crew unions in five countries, including Belgium, threatened to go back on strike over concerns with staffing, respect and fair pay. Unions say that Ryanair has not agreed to a “genuine dialogue” during the talks, opening the door to new strikes across Europe in June.
According to the unions, Ryanair has continued to circumvent Belgian labour laws. The workers accuse Ryanair of deliberately avoiding commitments made in 2019 to respect national legislation.
Previous strikes caused significant disruption
On 22-24 April, cabin crew went on strike from Brussels International Airport and Charleroi Airport, cancelling a dozen of flights and causing travel disruption for many Belgian holidaymakers.
In a previous comment to The Brussels Times, Hans Elsen, a representative of the ACV Puls trade union, stated that the company had failed to invest into the “human treatment” and “acceptable working conditions” for its cabin crew.
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Ryanair vehemently opposed the last set of strikes, which it described in a statement as “pointless” and “unilateral.” The company accused unions of “abandoning negotiations” and disrupting customers’ travel plans.
A new strike notice has been sent to Ryanair by the unions, this time with the participation of Belgian pilots unions.
