24-hour pilot strike at Brussels Airlines on Saturday 13 January

Pilots at Brussels Airlines are set to go on a 24-hour strike starting tomorrow at 05:00. The dissatisfaction stems from management’s refusal to index the pilots’ so-called “cafeteria plan”, which includes allowances on top of their wages.

Despite a court ruling in favour of the pilots, the airline’s management is appealing the decision, prompting the strike action. The pilots argue that their purchasing power has been reduced due to the lack of indexation. The strike is seen as a warning, with the possibility of further strikes if the issues are not resolved.

“We have all felt the high inflation,” said Olivier Van Camp of the socialist union BBTK. “The pilots’ pay is indexed, but not the cafeteria plan.” “It is a warning strike,” adds Van Camp.“This could be the start of perhaps several strikes if the problems are not resolved. The three unions support the action.”

The airline regrets the wildcat strike and apologises to affected passengers, emphasising the negative impact on the company and calling for a constructive dialogue with the unions to prevent further damage.

“We regret that the pilot unions are calling for a wildcat strike tomorrow, Saturday, January 13. We apologise to all passengers who are inconvenienced by the strike. Our colleagues are doing everything they can to find solutions for everyone, a task force has been set up to deal with the consequences of the strike,” Brussels Airlines spokesman Nico Cardone said to Aviation24.be. “Brussels Airlines remains ambitious to be among the best employers in Belgium and is always open to a constructive dialogue with the trade unions. We will not discuss the content of the discussions externally.”

Cardone concludes: “A strike is not a solution to the conflict, on the contrary: it hurts our company and puts pressure on future investments. We call on the unions to come around the table to continue the discussions and prevent unnecessary damage to Brussels Airlines. We would like to thank all the teams who are limiting the impact of the strike and working hard to take care of our passengers.”