Potential ATC strikes averted as Skeyes (Belgium) reaches agreement with unions

In a recent development, the management of air traffic controller Skeyes and its unions have reached an agreement, as reported by Skeyes to VRT NWS. The unions involved, ACV Transcom and ACOD Vliegwezen, have also confirmed this news, signaling a temporary halt to union actions. The agreement will be presented for approval at the joint committee meeting on Friday.

The social negotiations at Skeyes have, at last, yielded an agreement this evening. “Passengers can rest assured; no actions will be taken,” assures Kurt Callaerts from the Christian union ACV Transcom to press agency Belga. The specific details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed.

After intense discussions, Kurt Callaerts further stated on social media, “After heavy discussions, we have a clear listing of the issues and some solutions.” The intricacies of the scheduling issue are not straightforward, and there is still much to discuss and negotiate to arrive at a robust solution.

Other matters, such as holiday planning and standby arrangements, could be addressed more promptly, according to Callaerts. “Actions are, for the time being, off the table, unless insufficient progress is made.”

The strike notice from all three unions is set to expire today (5 October), which could have led to potential actions if an agreement had not been reached. The unions had previously threatened partial or even complete closure of the airspace. Fortunately, such drastic measures have been averted, at least for now.

The three unions at Skeyes had submitted the strike notice last month due to dissatisfaction with the staff planning mechanism. Air traffic controllers have long complained about high work pressure and staff shortages. The recent agreement is a significant step towards resolving these issues and ensuring the smooth operation of air traffic control services.