Public strike on Thursday 22 Dec: what about BRU?

[Passenger]

Belgian public services (...) will go on strike this Thursday.

Will customs and other public services at Brussels Airport join the strike?

[cathay belgium]

Ha ! Lucky we have automated barcode gates now

Looks like they found another good date to annoy the normal customers just in front of Xmas
Or just in time before the big wave of Xmas holidays..

CX-B

[EBBU]

According to http://www.deredactie.be,

Luchthavens

•De kans is groot dat er donderdag geen enkel vliegtuig boven België zal vliegen, waarschuwt het ACV in Het Nieuwsblad.
•Niet alleen het personeel van Belgocontrol staakt, ook bij zowat alle privémaatschappijen plant het vliegend personeel acties.

Airports :
* There is a good change there will be no aircraft overflying Belgium on Thursday, dixit ACV in 'Het Nieuwsblad'.
* Not only the staff of Belgocontrol will go on strike but also the cockpit and cabin crews at almost every airline are planning actions.

My opinion,
NO aircraft over Belgium? unlikely.
As for the pilots and cabin crew... no idea.

[regi]

Truckloads of tranquilizers have been off loaded in a Irish headquarter.

[b.lufthansa]

http://aclvb-cgslb.blogspot.com/2011/12 ... -2011.html

[bollox]

regi, they will have to pay for their tranquilizers

[sn26567]

Fresh from the Brussels Airport website:

Unions call for general strike on Thursday 22 December

The three big trade unions in Belgium are calling for a general 24-hour strike in the public sector from Wednesday 21 December 10 pm to Thursday 22 December 10 pm to protest against the pension reforms. As a result there will be no train or bus services from and to Brussels Airport. Passengers are advised to take the necessary precautions.

At this moment we do not know if or to what extent air traffic operations will be impacted. We will try to keep you informed as best we can. In any case, passengers had best check as of Wednesday whether any information is available for Thursday.

[sean1982]

Another proof that Unions have lost all sense of reality, they better take a good look at countries around us and see what measures they are taking regarding pensions, unemplyment payments, etc ..., and then thank their lucky stars the government is just doing some rather small changes!!! One word, criminal!

[mijnmening]

Have a look at this URL and you might understand:

http://lbc-nvk.acv-online.be/Actualitei ... n=addtoany

[regi]

Another proof that Unions have lost all sense of reality, they better take a good look at countries around us and see what measures they are taking regarding pensions, unemplyment payments, etc ..., and then thank their lucky stars the government is just doing some rather small changes!!! One word, criminal!

Our new government doesn't reflect at all the wish of the voter. Most parties in the government had lost in the last elections. But they come up with plans that affect the future of the working people.
So if the politicians betray the voters, to who must the common working class/middle class , tax paying person turn to to get some defence? His union maybe?

Completely different question Sean: do you know why the Ryanair website promotes travel by TGV? Charleroi and CDG are no Ryanair destinations ?

[Passenger]

Our new government doesn't reflect at all the wish of the voter. Most parties in the government had lost in the last elections. But they come up with plans that affect the future of the working people. So if the politicians betray the voters, to who must the common working class/middle class, tax paying person turn to to get some defence? His union maybe?

No : to the politicians, by not voting for them anymore. That's the way it should work in a democracy.

[airazurxtror]

http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/art ... arret.html

"If minister Van Quickenborne does not start quickly a consultation with the unions, we can not guarantee the flights scheduled during the Christmas period," said tuesday Marijke Persoone (CSC Aviation), on behalf of union common front. "The anger among the people is particularly high." According to Ms. Persoone, there are also signals that the firefighters from the airport and air traffic Belgocontrol are planning actions. In this case, the entire Brussels Airport would be stopped, she adds.

Finally, unions are already calling the cabin crew and pilots to take action Thursday, the day of national strike at 11:00 am, before the Tower of pensions in Brussels. "Within the airline Brussels Airlines, in addition to anger there are the frustrations of the internal restructuring."

[regi]

to who must the common working class/middle class, tax paying person turn to to get some defence? His union maybe?

No : to the politicians, by not voting for them anymore. That's the way it should work in a democracy.

100% right...and the peoples act accordingly. Seems that our politicians have forgotten that democracy comes from 2 Greek words: deimos and kratein, meaning: the peoples rule.

The term comes from the word Greek: δημοκρατία – (dēmokratía) "rule of the people", which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) "people" and κράτος (Kratos) "power"

For all other believers that democracy has anything to do with freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of press, multi party coalitions, freedom of strike, right for work, equal gender rights, anti discrimination, protection of minorities or whatever: wrong. Just: the peoples rule.

[sean1982]

@regi, i dont know. Probably TGV just bought advertising space on the fr website? I wouldn't see another reason.

@mijnmening, i agree the extra payment for cc and pilots pension should be stopped. But everyone will have to work longer in order to sustain the social system. Also pilots and cc. I dont see why somebody who works at arcelor-mital for example, can work untill 65 and pilots and cc can not? Yes we work long hours, weekends an holidays, but so do 10.000's other people. Maybe there is bigger chance for cancer, but this is also the case in other jobs, so again i dont't see the problem. Time for the unions to descend from their silver cloud and get in touch with reality again, or do we wanna end up with a greek or italian pension?

[Passenger]

For all other believers that democracy has anything to do with freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of press, multi party coalitions, freedom of strike, right for work, equal gender rights, anti discrimination, protection of minorities or whatever: wrong. Just: the peoples rule.

And what if your rights conflict with other people's rights? The right to travel, the right to use the ticket that has been paid for, the right to use the train for which an expensive subscription has been paid, the right to use public services for which taxes have been paid?

What you - and all other strikers - are doing, is this : you have a problem with your neighboor on your right site, and damned you are right: he is wrong. But you now damage the 4 car tyres from the neighboor on your left site "because he is also a neighboor". And then you say to your right neighboor "and if you don't submit now, I put a fire on the other neighboor's car".

[Squelsh]

The situation is complicated. The 'eenheidsworst' government we have is a legit government and has the needed democratic base of votes to do this, even if this base is very small in Flanders, but that's the way it is. Remember even NVA said that these measures were not enough. And as mentioned in this thread, we have no choice, we have to reform the social system and work harder/longer for less, no choice. No problem there (for me).
.
I'm not syndicated and not a friend of the unions (far from)
.
BUT
.
Thing is... the way it was communicated.. When the minister for pensions last week bombarded the media with a very simplisitic message "ALL pensions change now.. and BEFORE the end of this year (few weeks)" this immediatly made me think of our good old friend Godfroid and when he blew up all ties and union-rights within SABENA. The airport became one huge battlefield following days. (Question afterwards is why he did it, some say to get fired for sure because the unions made him sick but his memoires do not reflect this...but off topic)
.
Now only a few days further, the first (fully supported) strikes are already there, and ongoing till thursday.
.
Better communication would have tempered things we are seeing now and less impulsive/hot-headed union-leaders more probable (eg UP the 20yr for members of parliament and only afterwards start tempering the main pensions of the citizens). What a joke.. Before the end of the year.. This problem has been discussed for decades and Mr Joint will pass this Dutchy in a few weeks... *right

[B.Inventive]

So 'Passenger' tell us what the alternative is on this short notice term. remember, on december 31st it will be decided... (which could be actually effective!)
While I agree it might be an idea to increase the legal pension age, the 45yr career thing is simply disgusting, not fair and for most people 'impossible' (remember pilots get disqualified medically at age 66) so you are condemning people to work a much longer career for a SERIOUSLY LOWER pension, even though they actually payed up to 14% more during their career in order to be allowed to stop working earlier... all that and a bag of potato chips...
I agree we should work longer and get a lower pension, but simply blowing up our current system is not an option...
I'm not talking about other public sectors(since we are actually not public at all), i'm talking about belgian aviation.

[Conti764]

So 'Passenger' tell us what the alternative is on this short notice term. remember, on december 31st it will be decided... (which could be actually effective!)
While I agree it might be an idea to increase the legal pension age, the 45yr career thing is simply disgusting, not fair and for most people 'impossible' (remember pilots get disqualified medically at age 66) so you are condemning people to work a much longer career for a SERIOUSLY LOWER pension, even though they actually payed up to 14% more during their career in order to be allowed to stop working earlier... all that and a bag of potato chips...
I agree we should work longer and get a lower pension, but simply blowing up our current system is not an option...
I'm not talking about other public sectors(since we are actually not public at all), i'm talking about belgian aviation.

Fair enough... But ofcourse, the unions will be sitting at home, enjoying their extra day off, while others who are also affected by the reforms stay behind to clean up the mess...

[regi]

For all other believers that democracy has anything to do with freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of press, multi party coalitions, freedom of strike, right for work, equal gender rights, anti discrimination, protection of minorities or whatever: wrong. Just: the peoples rule.

And what if your rights conflict with other people's rights? The right to travel, the right to use the ticket that has been paid for, the right to use the train for which an expensive subscription has been paid, the right to use public services for which taxes have been paid?

What you - and all other strikers - are doing, is this : you have a problem with your neighboor on your right site, and damned you are right: he is wrong. But you now damage the 4 car tyres from the neighboor on your left site "because he is also a neighboor". And then you say to your right neighboor "and if you don't submit now, I put a fire on the other neighboor's car".

Members who know me know that I cannot be a striker because I am a self employed person, with personnel.
Your reaction is so typical: assumptions. You did not even understand the very basic message what democracy means. Again: democracy just means " the peoples rule". Hope you get it now.
Unions have been created to form a group to be stronger than an individual.
And you even turned it upside down. To rule doesn't mean destruction and intimidation.
If unions call for a strike, it is a reaction on something that affects their members directly.
We as European citizens have to undergo now the punishment of mismanagment over decades.
I go into detail, and I hope you understand it: the "casu belli" for the unions was the utter disrespect of that minister Van Quickenborne. He belongs to the party VLD that pulled the plug out of the former government, and now they consider themselves as responsable citizens to take again the rudder - despite they lost the elections!
This arrogance, disrespect for the people - who are obliged by law in Belgium to go voting - culminates in extreme measures , such as a strike.
I have pointed out in previous messages that I personally consider a strike as a failure of the managment of a company, or in this case a government. Our government has decided to disregard negotiations and take so called urgent measures. Urgent? After getting the world title of the longest government construction in written history? What a joke.
I feel sorry for all innoscent bystanders who suffer from the strikes. But allow me to tell you 2 things:

• this is just 1 strike and it can get much worse.
  next time you have to undergo the obligatory voting: remember who pissed you off, who broke his promise and act accordingly.

[regi]

The situation is complicated. The 'eenheidsworst' government we have is a legit government and has the needed democratic base of votes to do this, even if this base is very small in Flanders, but that's the way it is. Remember even NVA said that these measures were not enough. And as mentioned in this thread, we have no choice, we have to reform the social system and work harder/longer for less, no choice. No problem there (for me).
.
I'm not syndicated and not a friend of the unions (far from)
.
BUT
.
Thing is... the way it was communicated.. When the minister for pensions last week bombarded the media with a very simplisitic message "ALL pensions change now.. and BEFORE the end of this year (few weeks)" this immediatly made me think of our good old friend Godfroid and when he blew up all ties and union-rights within SABENA. The airport became one huge battlefield following days. (Question afterwards is why he did it, some say to get fired for sure because the unions made him sick but his memoires do not reflect this...but off topic)
.
Now only a few days further, the first (fully supported) strikes are already there, and ongoing till thursday.
.
Better communication would have tempered things we are seeing now and less impulsive/hot-headed union-leaders more probable (eg UP the 20yr for members of parliament and only afterwards start tempering the main pensions of the citizens). What a joke.. Before the end of the year.. This problem has been discussed for decades and Mr Joint will pass this Dutchy in a few weeks... *right

euh... just read your message now after my last message. It is almost as I copy pasted your posting