25-31/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

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AlexC
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by AlexC »

Avia Partner is no small company! They work and operate on mostly every single airport in Central Europe. I worked with some of their teams back in Dusseldorf. Some of them really cool and trying to get problems sorted. Other on the other hand... some could no follow the single rule of cleaning toilet tanks with 75 GAL of H2o

Like with everything in life, much is with oneself motivation and will to go further.

BR
Last edited by AlexC on 26 Oct 2018, 15:53, edited 1 time in total.
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luchtzak
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by luchtzak »

Aviapartner strike.jpg
© Daniel Candeias

AlexC
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by AlexC »

luchtzak wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 15:37 Aviapartner strike.jpg

© Daniel Candeias
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I believe, here comes a very genuine Portuguese Humour case :D
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jan_olieslagers
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by jan_olieslagers »

What I have been wondering many times: aren't these handlers under some kind of Service Level Agreement with the airport? Something along the lines of "at least 95% of operations must be with less than xx minutes delay" or so, and a penalty if the condition is not met?

If I were the airport management, I would be very unhappy with such an unreliable handler, and I'd try anything I could to get rid of them, including making life hard on them, whenever and wherever possible.

Also: I too can't help wondering about the quality of management. This one handler is apparently barely able to keep afloat financially, yet employs a minimum of staff and pays them minimally too, or that's what we hear. How can other handlers manage to do better? Get the job done with yet less staff? Pay their staff less still? Sure enough wages must be by far the greatest expense in such an operation?

AlexC
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by AlexC »

jan_olieslagers wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 16:02 What I have been wondering many times: aren't these handlers under some kind of Service Level Agreement with the airport? Something along the lines of "at least 95% of operations must be with less than xx minutes delay" or so, and a penalty if the condition is not met?
Sure they have such agreements :D . The question is, what does this bring once the company decided to march on behalf of Human rights or some other bogus problem that is afecting the company and take a small break for a Strike? Those agreements quickly become worthless and if it comes down to change handler, they can apply for bankrupcy and start somewhere else. Until the new handler is found and trained to the Standards of the national and EASA rules, some weeks if not months are gone.

They can preety much do what they wish! thats the point.

Strikes are becoming, just like weather " an Act of good" mostly because nobody knows when they coming next :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I wonder what will they tell their kids when they come home and say they dont have a job anymore..
uh... I lost my job, because... I fought for my rights! Son asks: And what are those??? ;) ;)
Answer: Have you done your Homework yet?

Maybe an old saying would be helpfull here:
Know your rights.. but also get to know your duties and responsibilities!
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convair
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Re: Strikes affecting Belgian airports in 2018

Post by convair »

Airpocket wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 14:57
b.lufthansa wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 07:28 Then two handling agents that have a monopoly at Brussels Airport are in financial difficulties, you have got to explain me that!
there is no monopoly, every few years Brussels airport company lets other company’s bid for a certain task at the airport. Off course these contracts go to the lowest bidder. “You pay peanuts, you get monkeys”
BRU no longer is a govt company; they can award the handling contracts to any company they choose. And they (should) have enough experience to know what financial conditions the handling companies need in order to survive. But BRU is too greedy to offer them decent contracts apparently.
They currently only have 2. If one of them goes bust, it's a big problem for BRU, imho. Any strike is bad for BRU's image. However, we have been shown, time and again, that pax are not important in the eyes of BRU's management.

convair
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Re: Strikes affecting Belgian airports in 2018

Post by convair »

convair wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 16:36
Airpocket wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 14:57
b.lufthansa wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 07:28 Then two handling agents that have a monopoly at Brussels Airport are in financial difficulties, you have got to explain me that!
there is no monopoly, every few years Brussels airport company lets other company’s bid for a certain task at the airport. Off course these contracts go to the lowest bidder. “You pay peanuts, you get monkeys”
BRU no longer is a govt company; they can award the handling contracts to any company they choose. And they (should) have enough experience to know what financial conditions the handling companies need in order to survive. But BRU is too greedy to offer them decent contracts apparently.
They currently only have 2. If one of them goes bust, it's a big problem for BRU, imho. Any strike is bad for BRU's image. However, we have been shown, time and again, that pax are not important in the eyes of BRU's management.
Surely I'm not saying that Aviapartner management is doing what they should either!

gumblebee
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Re: Strikes affecting Belgian airports in 2018

Post by gumblebee »

convair wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 16:36 BRU no longer is a govt company; they can award the handling contracts to any company they choose.
They are not exclusively a government company, but they are still subject to the legislation on public procurement. Disputes are handled by the Council of State. See for example.


Airpocket
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Re: Strikes affecting Belgian airports in 2018

Post by Airpocket »

gumblebee wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 18:37
convair wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 16:36 BRU no longer is a govt company; they can award the handling contracts to any company they choose.
They are not exclusively a government company, but they are still subject to the legislation on public procurement. Disputes are handled by the Council of State. See for example.
My cousin works at the passenger security. And there have been talks about a strike there to. So this is a widespread problem at Brussels airport. Profit before anything else. Like I said: “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”.

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Re: 25-26-27/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by TLspotting »

VRT : No more flights handled by Aviapartner until Sunday morning (at least)
Hi. I'm Thibault Lapers. @ThibaultLapers & @TLspotting

Kenlybe
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by Kenlybe »

sean1982 wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 15:01
SR20 wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 14:57 It looks like Aviaparner staff is also on strike at LGG/Liège !
Correct. “In support of their BRU colleagues” :roll:
Correct me if I'm wrong. But from what I understood from VRT news is that the Aviapartner in LGG is refusing to handle the diverted planes from TUIfly that would normally leave from BRU. I mean, what a disaster are they causing for the people leaving to for example Cancun today? Most of them have limited time (as autumn holidays are only 1 week) and they are just ruining their holiday for which they worked hard.

You can surely make a point for a strike in Brussels Airport, but Aviapartner in LGG refusing to handle the diverted flights which would be a solution for the stranded passengers, just seems like bullying...

Update: LGG-CUN left 10 minutes ago, so it seems they did handle the plane.

Passenger
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Re: Strikes affecting Belgian airports in 2018

Post by Passenger »

Aviapartner Belgium isn't making / hasn't made any profit. Their status is virtual bankruptcy. A cumulated loss of 24.334.941 € is extremely huge and impossible to recover with 61.000.000 € turnover in a competitive branch with narrow margins.

Unless with a major rescue plan, and they have made this: "TakeOff". However, they won't be able to realize this rescue plan because the staff and the trade unions reject the plan even before it has been implemented in full. TakeOff is based on a better use of existing equipment, a better planning and rostering and more flexibility. And these tools happen to be the three reasons that are given for the strike.

What's next? I don't think that the shareholders are willing to invest more money into this sinking ship. And I don't think that the banks will increase the credit line, given the dramatic 2017 result and this costly strike.

With their rescue plan TakeOff ruïned by this strike, there aren' many options left. Perhaps they should increase their tariffs to airlines with 30%, thus loosing half of them to Swissport. But they can then make some profit on the remaining business. That means end of contract for at least half of the 685 employees. Hard stuff indeed. But after all, the staff went on strike whilst their employer was on his knees in a bank office, begging for money.

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lumumba
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Re: 25-26-27/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by lumumba »

How can Brussels Airport work with a company with a huge debt like that .
For sure this is risky business.
Hasta la victoria siempre.

sean1982
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Re: 25-26/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by sean1982 »

Kenlybe wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 20:53
sean1982 wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 15:01
SR20 wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 14:57 It looks like Aviaparner staff is also on strike at LGG/Liège !
Correct. “In support of their BRU colleagues” :roll:
Correct me if I'm wrong. But from what I understood from VRT news is that the Aviapartner in LGG is refusing to handle the diverted planes from TUIfly that would normally leave from BRU. I mean, what a disaster are they causing for the people leaving to for example Cancun today? Most of them have limited time (as autumn holidays are only 1 week) and they are just ruining their holiday for which they worked hard.

You can surely make a point for a strike in Brussels Airport, but Aviapartner in LGG refusing to handle the diverted flights which would be a solution for the stranded passengers, just seems like bullying...

Update: LGG-CUN left 10 minutes ago, so it seems they did handle the plane.
They didnt, someone else did :roll:

convair
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Re: Strikes affecting Belgian airports in 2018

Post by convair »

gumblebee wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 18:37
convair wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 16:36 BRU no longer is a govt company; they can award the handling contracts to any company they choose.
They are not exclusively a government company, but they are still subject to the legislation on public procurement. Disputes are handled by the Council of State. See for example.
Right, the govt still has a 25% stake with probably some veto rights. However, the legislation on public procurement, if applicable, would not mean an obligation to award contracts to companies that are not deemed able to deliver, which seems to be the case for Aviapartner (and maybe for Swissport as well, btw)

Jetter
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Re: 25-26-27/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by Jetter »

Image
How is it possible that Aviapartner operates at dozens airports but their staff has to strike at exactly BRU. As if this airport hasn't seen enough strikes already. I'm not sure of the culprit in this case - there are likely more - but this only furthers the demise of BRU as European hub. And yet there are people blaming LH, as if there aren't so many domestic causes. :cry:

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Re: 25-26-27/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by luchtzak »

"We are on strike now, stop working guys!"
.

saratoga
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Re: 25-26-27/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by saratoga »

As a pilot i land quite often in BRU and my company is using aviapartner as well. We see so many times, when on blocks even, we really have to wait for them to show up to take care of everything, causing delays ofcourse. There is simply a lack of staff (like swissport as well) and they really have to work their ass of!!!! 1700 € salary all included for the kind of job and hours they have to do.....well it is not that well paid. On top of that, a lot of ppl do not show any respect towards them. Well they get my respect and i support their action to strike. It is always more more and more for less less and less. Common public does not give a toss, because they just wanna go on holiday for a few euros!!

flightlover
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Re: 25-26-27/10/2018 Aviapartner strike at Brussels Airport

Post by flightlover »

Jetter wrote: 27 Oct 2018, 06:35 Image
How is it possible that Aviapartner operates at dozens airports but their staff has to strike at exactly BRU. As if this airport hasn't seen enough strikes already. I'm not sure of the culprit in this case - there are likely more - but this only furthers the demise of BRU as European hub. And yet there are people blaming LH, as if there aren't so many domestic causes. :cry:
They do operate at dozens of airports, each station nicely packed in its own private company structure. If one station is ill managed all others are unaffected. That is why Ostend is protected against debtors and the others operate as normal (except for the strike that is).

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