Ryanair pilots in Belgium will strike on 15 and 16 July after the company failed to make a serious proposal on pilot salaries, having had until midday on Friday to respond.
Ryanair pilots living in Belgium will strike next weekend in protest against the cancellation of a collective agreement on working and rest times – which is against the law, according to the pilots' representatives.
Pilots disagree with management's cancellation of a collective agreement regulating working and rest times and are also demanding wage restoration after giving up 20% of their pay during the Covid-19 crisis, which was never restored.
The unions had given the management until 12:00 today (Friday) to make a proposal, but they only received a letter with a "threatening tone" without any concrete proposal, De Morgen reports.
"We have been trying in vain for six months to engage in dialogue with Ryanair, but to no avail. So now we have to pull the emergency brake," Hans Elsen of the Christian union ACV Puls told VRT earlier this week.
Related News
According to the new collective labour agreement Ryanair wants to introduce, pilots will have to be available to fly out for six (instead of five previously) consecutive days at any time of the day. As a result, pilots lose a day of rest.
Another problem Ryanair pilots are struggling with is that their pay has not been adjusted since the pandemic. In 2020, they agreed to a 20% pay cut to help the company during the Covid-19 crisis. According to the unions, however, the management refuses to talk about stopping that gesture, "despite the return of huge profits."
What impact the strike over the weekend of 15 and 16 July will have on holidaymakers is not yet clear. Travellers will be informed at the earliest 48 hours before departure. People are advised to keep a close eye on the airport's website for more info.
