Security guards take action at NATO HQ
350 security guards assembled outside NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday morning to protest against the impasse in negotiations on a new collective labour agreement. The protest is also being felt a few kilometres up the road at Zaventem Airport. The airport reports that waiting times for checks on hand luggage can be as long as 1 hour.
Security guards are taking action today in protest at the impasse in the negotiations on a new collective labour agreement for those working in their sector.
Koen Maertens of the socialist trade union ABVV told VRT News that “Purchasing power, quality of work and additional payments made to compensate for flexible working are the three main stumbling blocks”.
The unions says that what is currently on the table is insufficient and that “people are big sick of it”.
The action has also caused traffic delays. Brussels police report that the roundabout in front of the NATO building is closed to traffic with a possible knock on effect for those using the Leopold III-laan to reach the airport or one of the industrial estates in Evere, Diegem or Zaventem.
Shortage of security guards leads to delays at the airport
As a result of the security guards having assemble en masse outside the NATO building, companies that use the services of security guards are finding that they don’t have enough security staff today. This is also the case at Zaventem Airport, near Brussels will longer waiting times as a result. Passengers are advised to turn up at least 2 hours in advance for a European flight and 3 hours for an intercontinental flight.
However, the delays will shorten once the morning rush of flights is over. Furthermore, the security guards ended at around 9am.
Further talks between representatives of the security companies and the trade unions are planned for Wednesday. With the school holidays due to start on Friday the airport is especially keen that the dispute be resolved quickly.