Ryanair pilots stationed at Belgium's Charleroi airport went on strike again at the weekend. The unions accuse the carrier of "lack of respect" towards the pilots.
Between employee representatives and management, the fronts are quite hardened. For example, the union accuses the low-cost airline of social dumping and “lack of respect”. The last statement is based on the fact that Ryanair intends to terminate an existing collective agreement. The pilot representatives believe that the carrier would ask for more concessions.
At the beginning of the corona pandemic, unionists agreed that Belgian Ryanair pilots would receive a 20 percent wage cut. On the employee side, the agreements were signed by the unions CNE, ACV Plus and Beca. Now there is a dispute about the restoration of the original salaries. The crisis agreement runs until October 2024. The employee representatives point out that Ryanair made a record profit of 1,43 billion euros last year and therefore they are not only demanding back the original wages, but also more money. The low-cost airline, on the other hand, should not only insist on the continuation of the cuts, but also want to terminate the collective agreement on working and rest times, according to a CNE unionist.
The trade unions are not willing to negotiate, because according to their own statements they demand compliance with the applicable laws. Ryanair is being verbally abused, claiming that the carrier is breaking the law.
Most recently, the unions called for a pilots' strike on July 15 and 16, 2023 at the Charleroi base. About 120 flights had to be cancelled. About 80 percent of the Ryanair pilots at this base are said to have participated in the industrial action.