Strike imminent at Brussels Airlines...

[Bralo20]

According to sources and confirmed by a newsposting on Flightlevel it seems that a big strike at Brussels Airlines is imminent... All personnel labour organisations (pilots, cabine, ground) have filed a strike request for the upcomming weeks.

Brussels Airlines personnel is tired that the management doesn't show any respect and expect them to work late, take others shifts, have to shorten breaks, etc... without getting a compensation for it...

The personnel has given the management a list with things they would like to see changed, if they comply to the list the strike(s) won't take place, however if the management fails to find a solution a (or multiple) strikes can be expected...

News in Dutch:
http://www.flightlevel.be/4696/stakinge ... s-airlines

[airbuske]

I'm working at grouds ops and this is the first thing I hear about the strike.
But it's true that we are tired that the management doesn't show any respect and expect us to work late, take others shifts,.... without getting a compensation for it.

[ihd-fc]

Hi

I am also working at Ground Ops and worked very hard during ashcloud, snow and other irregs, but I don't feel like striking, but that will only cause more trouble for Ground Ops and more work afterwards.

Brussels Airlines is a healthy company with a bright future ahead, let's keep it that way!

Also first thing I hear about it.

[Bralo20]

I heared some rumours about it last week... And yesterday somebody posted it on Flightlevel so there must be something happening I guess?

[tolipanebas]

I can indeed confirm that a strike warning has been handed over to our management by the unions.

As you've all been able to witness, last year, management had us scramble from emergency to emergency, not only due to external factors beyond their control (like snow, ashcloud and snow again), but also for all too many things they should have been perfectly able to foresee and manage (baby boom, influenza, long term understaffing). All frontliners litterally worked their but off, from January the first, till Newyear's Eve. However, rather than make provisions so the company won't be faced with such a state of permanent mess ever again, it seems the only lesson our dear managers have learnt in 2010 is that "we can do it", and "2011 will be equally challenging".

IMHO, this company (or rather its management) is in urgent need of some sense of reality as to what can be considered a sustainable working climate for its staff. How on earth do they want to manage HR efficiently and respectfully that way? Give annual leaves in time? Hire sufficient new staff? Award promotions? Launch internal biddings and fill in vacancies externally in time? Expand without pain? Strengthen the network? Renew the fleet?

Let's hope they finally got the message from our unions, so no strike is needed. I'd really hate it for sure!

[Desert Rat]

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail. ... 110117_137

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

[cnc]

and the main comments from outsiders "Here we go again, sabena is back?"
I hope management will accept the terms because it makes all of BRU look bad

[ihd-fc]

For your info:

It is only the liberal union, so not all unions.

They are mad because they changed africa schedule without asking them.

It is not SN who decided that, it is the governments of Ivory coast and Senegal that decided... SN management would have loved to keep their old schedule.

I am Ground staff BRU and I am still happy to work for B.air every day again...

[HighInTheSky]

I am Ground staff BRU and I am still happy to work for B.air every day again...

So:
- You don't think you aren't paid enough?
- You don't think that Sundays and public holidays should be paid a ratio of 150 or 200%?
- You don't think that there is a disrespect from the management towards you PSA's - PSO's?



I'm not ground staff, but am also happy to work for SN, BUT the management is screwing up big time lately, and they think they can get away with everything, including cancelling CAO's... And that's a bridge to far in my opinion... Respect should be mutual and equal between management and personell !

[tb20]

Hi everybody !
Now , in my humble opinion, it's time to react !
I don't care about people telling : here we go again with Sabena. It's so stupid, wa are so far away from Sabena working conditions.
I don't really know for the ground staff, but I'm well aware about the flying staff, and it's a shame !!!
We always have some reasons to be happy, FORTUNATELLY !!!
But on the other side it's unbelievable the way the treat BA personnal.
For FCM, a Co Pilot earn less than 2000 Eur and a Cpt les than 3000 EUR, and for cabin crew it'sless than 1000 Eur !!!
How is it possible?
If you take all the airlines around Belgium it's almost the double !
We are doing the same job, we have the same responsabilities, and if you take the duty time we work more, for half of the price, how could anybody can find it normal ?
So don't tell me that we are lucky to work in Belgium.
Sabena bankruptcy was 10 years ago now.
Management neeeds us to fly the aircraft, they won't replace you so easy...
I don't want Lufthansa or KLM salary , I'm company minded, but I just want a fare pay scale, regarding our responsabilities, our training etc...
I will just give you a example : a home-worker earn more if you give him the same roster (with night hours, week end...)
So please, change your mind.
Thing about solidarity.
We must be company minded, but they must be respectfull with our working conditions.

I will be very happy to talk with any of you if you need more explanations or details


Cheers !

[Shanti]

what about working conditions at Thomas Cook and Jetairfly? are they better or worse?
thanks for the answers

[regi]

first some questions by this outsider:

• salary bonusses of 115%, 150%, 200% for late shift, night time and holiday working time is normally included in most CAO's. Some exceptions for example in catering where it is normal that a cook works on Sundays...But a member posted that the CAO was broken. Question: is this true? ( meaning: was there such a salary bonus sheme and was it unilaterally broken? In that case, it is a case for the judge, and such a trial will take just 1 minute )
  am I reading right that a pilot earns 3,000 a month, a co pilot 2,000 and a FA just 1,000? Or are that basic salaries without the bonusses?

Launching a strike to get a higher salary does not really fit in my personnal life style. When I was not happy about my first job, I looked for another job, found it within 3 weeks , earned 25% more, neutral company car and bonusses on top.
If you underwrite a labour contract you agree with the salary. And if the contract doesn't mention that you get automatically pay rises, that is it. To use the weapon of a strike feels a bit unfair.
But...as a complete outsider I can imagine that there are plenty of other reasons as well. If managers get bonusses for the self approved targets, it creates frustration. If personnel doesn't get the bonusses because of bad schedules, it is understandable that people are unhappy.
In such a case people have to speak to their managers. If the conversation is not taking place, than it is normal to think about a strike. Many outsiders forget that the bonus of some managers ( for performance or whatever) evaporates when there is a strike. So I can imagine that there is friction within the SN managment.
In fact, normal stuff. Let's see what will happen.

[Stij]

@tb20:

I hope this is after tax and social security?

Cheers,

Stij

[sn26567]

It is only the liberal union, so not all unions.

The management of Brussels Airlines confirmed Monday it had received a letter from union common front with a strike notice. "This letter A contains a series of points. We are ready to debate and remain open to dialogue, " said a spokesman for Brussels Airlines.

A meeting between management and unions will depend on the respective agenda of both parties. The spokesman could not give details.

[fcw]

Just for information: monthly gross salary of FR captains in CRL is a 5 digit figure. (ie >10.000)
Work pattern: 5 on/ 4 off. Max 900 block hours/ year.
My easyJet friends claim their take home pay is a 5 digit figure...

[matey11]

Hello,

I'm also happy to work for SN but at the maintenance department we also get well underpaid for the responsabilities we have you may never forget we are the persons who garantuee you a save flight or anyway responsable for it. If you see our work roster you will think oh no what is this. if I compare our salary with germany's technicians or france technicians you can multiply this with 2 or even 3. anyway i really hope there will be a solution without a strike. no maintenance no flight simple.

kind regards

[regi]

Hello,

I'm also happy to work for SN but at the maintenance department we also get well underpaid for the responsabilities we have you may never forget we are the persons who garantuee you a save flight or anyway responsable for it. If you see our work roster you will think oh no what is this. if I compare our salary with germany's technicians or france technicians you can multiply this with 2 or even 3. anyway i really hope there will be a solution without a strike. no maintenance no flight simple.

kind regards

Dear Mattey, if you are a qualified technician and unhappy about the salary, you can ask for a pay rise. If you don't get it, and it is so important for you, I can give you immediately 10 addresses around BRU in a 5 km radius where they are hungry to see you come working with a fixed contract for metal workers.
French salaries are about 10-15% lower than in Belgium. So there must be something wrong at your employer?
Salary according responsability: I don't agree that an aircraft technician should earn more than a truck mechanic. If the truck mechanic does a bad repair job on the brakes of a 28 T lorry, you can have fatal accidents as well. But...if an airplane mechanic has to follow more courses, updates, must have a wider knowledge and perform mutliple tasks, I do agree he is higher paid.
To put it simple: if you ask a higher salary because of responsability, than we have to agree that the salaries of nurses immediately double.

[matey11]

dear regy,

As you maybe know an aircraft technician is not only moral responable for his job but also in a court of law this is called men slaughter. I know some examples of old class mates who got woke up out of bed by the federal police to answer some questions. I don't think an lorry mechanic see this people often. in regards to the nurse she can call a doctor when their is something she have to make a descion about the patient. As for us we have to make the descion on our own even somethimes with a high time pressure. That's one of the reasons why we get a refreshment course every 2 years about human factors to be aware that also we are just people who make mistakes but to know when your are going to make mistakes to reduce them to a minimum. So are you willing to take the responabilty for 100 lives? And for what price?

[B.Inventive]

If everybody thinks the way you do Regi, soon enough every company would be out of employees and what good would that do? The balance should be in the middle, not tilted towards management, nor towards the employee.
Unfortunately the last years, due to the economic decline, management has gotten very easy (and sometimes even valid) reasons to tilt the balance a bit but they must be brought to attention that this can not last forever and the employee won't keep on taking cutbacks, they may not always be obvious, but the cutbacks are there.

Concerning comparing salary with other people: who cares? if people are jealous of this salary, then they should come and do the job, it is very simple really!!

[cnc]

and for cabin crew it'sless than 1000 Eur !!!

yea right less then 1000...
my girlfriend is FA at JAF and has on average around 1700