About 60 flights canceled to Charleroi.
Belgian Ryanair pilots are on strike again
58 of the 288 Ryanair flights due to depart or arrive at Charleroi airport today and tomorrow have been cancelled. Data obtained from the website of Brussels South Charleroi Airport. Flights have been canceled due to a strike by Ryanair pilots based in Belgium. Passengers who see their flights cancelled, are asked not to come to the airport.
This is the fourth time in the last two months that Ryanair pilots based at Charleroi Brussels South airport have gone on strike for two days contract. The date of the strike was not chosen by chance, since the general meeting of shareholders of the Irish budget airline is scheduled for today.
Pilots talk about “blackmail” by the airline management. They say management is reluctant to begin negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement on rest time until lawsuits filed by some pilots are withdrawn. According to CNE trade unionist Didier Lebbe, this is impossible because an investigation is already underway.
The pilots demand that Ryanair “respect Belgian law, make overdue payments and begin negotiations without imposing conditions.” Part of the conflict is also a disagreement over wages – after they were cut during the pandemic.
After the first strike, some contacts were established with Ryanair, but Ryanair refuses to negotiate until the Belgian pilots who went to court , will not withdraw their complaints.
As with previous strikes, only Charleroi airport will be affected. Ryanair also operates from Zaventem Airport, but flights to this route are only carried out by pilots working at foreign airports.