Brussels Airlines pilots announce strike from 23 to 27 March

Brussels Airlines pilots will go on strike from 23 to 27 March, unions announced on Friday. A second four-day strike may follow from 6 April.

The strike is linked to negotiations on pay and working conditions. Cuts were made during the Covid-19 crisis, but now that Brussels Airlines is doing better financially - with record profits last year - the pilots want their share.

"The company [the Lufthansa group, Brussels Airlines' parent company] chooses to distribute profits to shareholders at the expense of better working conditions for employees," said union member Jolinde Defieuw.

The unions are warning of further strikes if no agreement is reached. Another four-day strike could begin on 6 April, during the Easter holidays in Dutch-speaking schools.

'Unrealistic demands'

The management of Brussels Airlines reiterated on Friday that the first profit in five years "is not enough to undo all the efforts of the past years". It called on the unions not to make unrealistic demands.

Brussels Airlines has been experiencing social unrest for some time, involving pilots, stewards, cabin crew and ground staff. At the end of February, cabin crew went on strike for several days.

^{© BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT}