Air traffic controllers of Skeyes have announced a series of night strikes at Charleroi Airport following a collapse of negotiations about a bonus scheme for their night shift.
The strikes will start on Wednesday, with Skeyes employees striking each night between 22:00 and 08:00. The strikes could last until Saturday 10 October.
The series of strikes could affect a great many flights, particularly in the first few days.
A labour dispute is raging at Skeyes over the ‘digital towers’ that are set to manage flights for Charleroi and Liège airports in the future. A new digital control centre in Namur will manage air traffic for the two Walloon airports.
A trade union in Charleroi already submitted a strike notice at the end of July, but in the end no strike took place.
Various attempts at mediation ultimately proved fruitless. The talks concluded without an agreement, management reported on Monday afternoon. According to management, the air traffic controllers at Charleroi are demanding an increase in the night-time allowance to 160% of the current level.
This allowance already amounts to more than €1,000 per shift, they say. “Skeyes cannot agree to this, given that the airport is closed at night.”
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“The Charleroi air traffic controllers are asking for the same night allowance that applies in other units where a night allowance is paid,” said VSOA trade union representative Lennert Mervilde. According to him, there is traffic at night despite the airport being closed.
“There is an agreement between Charleroi Airport and Ryanair allowing aircraft based there to still land. Last week, for example, the last aircraft arrived at 05:20.”
Management believes the strike is disproportionate to the dispute. “A ten-hour work stoppage every night for 24 consecutive nights could have very significant consequences for the operation of Charleroi Airport, the airlines and their passengers, as well as for the many other businesses and employees who depend on airport activity.”
