Three unions that organized a three-day strike at Brussels Airlines insist there must be a face-to-face meeting with CEO Peter Gerber. But he shouldn't be interested in that. Even indefinite strikes are now in the room.

On Friday there was a meeting between representatives of the unions of flight attendants and pilots and management. To the annoyance of the employee representatives, Brussels CEO Gerber is said not to have taken part. Now they are demanding that he go to the negotiating table in person. Both the employee representatives of the pilots and those of the cabin crew can now imagine that there could be an indefinite strike. A corresponding call among the members has already been launched.

Work at the Belgian Lufthansa subsidiary was stopped from Thursday, June 23, 2022 to Saturday, June 25, 2022. Brussels Airlines had to cancel around 315 flights. About 40.000 passengers were affected. The unions are demanding that wages be increased, working conditions improved and recent inflation taken into account. They want to get rid of the crisis collective agreements that have been concluded. But management doesn't want that.

"As we have been making losses in 2020, 2021 and also in the first quarter of 2022, our financial situation does not allow us to reverse or reopen the current collective bargaining agreements that have been signed as part of our agreement with the Belgian government in 2020 by all signed by our social partners to ensure a future for our company," said a company spokesman.

The unions are now of the opinion that only personal talks with company boss Peter Gerber can lead to a compromise. One regrets the fact that he did not take part in the soundings on Friday and is now expecting an initiative from him. Otherwise, one could also enter into indefinite strikes.