Maritime pilots threaten new protest actions from mid-May
If an agreement does not emerge with federal pensions minister Jan Jambon, the Belgian maritime pilots will take new protest actions. The professional association of maritime pilots BvL pointed to 16 May as the ultimate date to reach a solution.
In total, there are about 300 maritime pilots in Belgium. They board large ships and bring them safely to and from the port. They know the North Sea, river Scheldt and port areas and advise the captain on navigating and manoeuvring the ship.
The pilots are among the best-paid civil servants in the country and will be affected by the lower indexation of the highest pensions. A young sea or river pilot would receive 45 per cent less pension compared to an older one due to the De Wever government's measures, socialist union ACOD calculated.
During the national strike on 31 March, protest actions by the pilots already caused significant delays in Flemish ports. On Wednesday 30 April, they were invited for new consultations with pensions minister Jan Jambon. But “notwithstanding hopeful signals from the minister at the previous consultation on 27 March, this meeting did not lead to the hoped-for result,” stated the professional association of maritime pilots.
“As practitioners of a dangerous and arduous profession, we take it very seriously that the tantièmes (which indicate how much pension a year of service earns, ed.) are being taken away with a single pen stroke,” added the association.
The pilots want to reach a solution by 16 May. If not, they will again “severely disrupt” shipping on the Scheldt from 17 May.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © BELGA PHOTO CONNECTIMAGE
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