No reconciliation yet with Brussels Airlines pilots after a cabin crew strike was avoided local

The pilots filed a strike notice last Wednesday to take action starting December 11. Management hopes to be able to avoid these measures, just as it was able to avoid a cabin crew strike in December.

Brussels Airlines cabin crew were supposed to stop working on December 1, 2 and 3, but unions and management reached an agreement this weekend. According to the unions, the management has put a serious proposal on the table, which will be consulted with employees during the next month.

The temporary agreement means there will be no strikes in December, according to Olivier Van Camp of the socialist union BBTK and Tim Rolandt of the liberal ACLVB. Van Camp says keeping December out was important to the company because the holidays and the holiday season were right around the corner, and the unions understood that.

According to the BBTK employee, the management has put a “serious and broad offer” on the table that includes guarantees and financial agreements regarding working conditions, rest and guaranteed income in case of illness. Tim Rowlandt, of the liberal ACLVB, calls the proposal “defensible.” According to Jolinde Defeo of the Christian trade union ACV Puls, the proposal has both good and less good elements, and it is now up to employees to express their opinions on it.

The French-speaking Christian Union reportedly indicated that it did not agree with the proposal, but according to insiders, it nevertheless joined the majority. According to CNE’s Didier Lippi, the union had “no choice but to accept the proposals”, but could not rule out spontaneous actions by employees.

This will be followed by a new meeting on Wednesday to discuss the details of the administration’s proposal. Strictly speaking, action could still be taken after December, but many union sources expect this will not be necessary.

Brussels Airlines is satisfied with the agreement with the unions, which, according to spokeswoman Joelle Knipp, was reached after two days of intense consultations. “We are sorry that the matter has come to this, but we are pleased that we were able to provide clarity to our passengers and employees,” the company said in a statement. “We are convinced that together we have found balanced, long-term solutions that provide our company and our employees with perspective and opportunities for growth, as well as keeping our costs under control in a highly competitive market.”