After a failed meeting between Ryanair’s management and the unions, the airline’s cabin crew will stop working for three days from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 April. This concerns employees of both Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport.
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The strike was announced due to failed talks between Ryanair’s management and unions. Negotiations on wages and bonuses for cabin crew went awry, among other things. A final mediation attempt between the personnel representatives and the management “did not lead to the hoped-for solutions”, say the unions.
The National Central Employees (CNE) therefore announces that Ryanair’s cabin crew will stop working at Zaventem and Charleroi airports next week from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 April.
Minimum wage
The three-day strike comes because the Irish low-cost airline is “simply ignoring the fundamental rights of their Belgian employees”, says Hans Elsen, representative of the Christian trade union ACV Puls. “Despite numerous mediation attempts, solutions are not forthcoming.”
CNE points out that as much as 75 percent of the workforce in the sector is paid the minimum wage, “even if they work early, late, on weekends and holidays”. “All this for a meager gross amount of 2,000 euros. Although Ryanair has a 30% profit margin in Charleroi and is expected to make a profit of one billion euros this year, there is no margin for improving the purchasing power of the workers.”
It is not yet clear what the inconvenience will be for passengers who want to take the plane at the end of next week. However, it seems almost inevitable that the impact will be large. About 650 people work for Ryanair at both airports. Remarkable: Ryanair employs about 650 people in Belgium, but does not have a Human Resources department in our country. According to the unions, this would ensure that wages are not paid correctly. “Some staff members who are no longer allowed to fly due to pregnancy, for example, have been without wages or benefits for months,” says Elsen.
Pilots do work
In 2018, under pressure from the trade unions, the Irish company accepted the application of Belgian labor law and appointed a personnel director with knowledge of local legislation. It is no longer in function. In addition, a collective labor agreement for on-board personnel concluded in the spring of 2019 expired at the end of March. This provided for a fixed monthly income, regardless of the number of flights performed.
The pilots are not participating in the strike, but negotiations are ongoing for them too. At the beginning of April, CNE union man Didier Lebbe warned that social peace is not certain with them either.
