Belgium-based Ryanair airline pilots gathered at Charleroi airport terminal at around 10:00 on Thursday on the first day the latest strike action.
The pilots' main demand remains an increase in pay after cuts made during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The employees organised several days of strike action over the summer. Since then, they say that relations with management at the Irish low-cost carrier have deteriorated further.
"The pilots who have taken legal action have been contacted by the company and threatened with more complicated schedules if they do not withdraw their complaints," explains CNE spokesperson Didier Lebbe who is managing the case with his ACV Puls colleague Hans Elsen.
The unionist affirms that 47 pilots have taken legal action against Ryanair as they believe that the carrier is not entitled to continue to deprive them of part of their wages.
On Thursday morning, the pilots reiterated their desire to see Ryanair comply with Belgian law, pay wage arrears and begin negotiations on a new collective labour agreement without preconditions.
58 flights are expected to be cancelled at Charleroi Airport on Thursday as a result of the strike action.
