Thursday's strike at Charleroi airport averted: 17,500 heave sigh of relief
Some staff at Charleroi airport intended to take part in a 24-hour strike on Thursday 2 May. The Walloon airports minister Adrien Dolimont (Francophone liberal/MR) feared the strike could impact on more than 94 flights and 17,500 departing passengers. But today unions and the airport management gave talks another chance. With success: they reached a last-minute agreement. "The airport will operate normally on Thursday," the management says.
There has been unrest among the workforce at Charleroi airport for some time now. Staff have complained about harassment by managers and the unions recently submitted notification that they could take strike action.
Last week, management tried to defuse the situation by announcing that it will reassign two of the managers in question. But the unions were critical because the measure is merely preventative at this stage and the investigation could continue for months.
They also pointed to high work pressure and poor social dialogue at the airport. "The management does not understand staff impatience. Workers want concrete solutions to the problems at hand quickly," trades unionist Yves Lambot said.
Many French-speakers are currently enjoying their two-week spring holiday, which means the airport is busy. In Flanders, workers may be able to take a long weekend off work thanks to the Labour Day public holiday.