On Tuesday, a graffiti mural at Brussels Airport Zaventem, created in support of the workers in the aviation sector, was unveiled by two trade unions.
The mural, unveiled by the socialist FGTB and Christian CSC unions, stretches over the building of cargo handler Swissport, which went bankrupt in June, and is visible from the landing zone of Brussels Airport.
Despite the resumption of air transport, uncertainty remains for the sector.
"We fear that this crisis will be forgotten very quickly, which is why we wanted to leave a trace," said Sandra Langenus, an FGTB representative. "Anyone who passes through the airport can see who makes sure it keeps running," she added.
In predominantly red and green tones, the work shows a hostess at the check-in counter, a baggage handler, an operational employee on the tarmac and a cleaning staff member. As the Liberal union did not co-fund the project, its colour, blue, is missing from the mural.
The unions are hoping for greater job security in the short term. Swissport's temporary replacement, Alyzia, can currently only hire staff on a fixed-term basis.
"We spoke again on Tuesday with Aviapartner (the other handler at Brussels Airport) but they made it clear that they would not hire French-speaking staff," Langenus said. With only 15% Dutch-speaking workers at Swissport, the potential for Aviapartner to take over staff is therefore particularly low, the trade unionist concluded.
The Brussels Times
