Pilots of Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines won’t strike this month, as planned initially. On Tuesday, unions and the management agreed on three of the main demands of the pilots to release work pressure: 12 instead of 5 ‘joker days’, more compensation for weekend work, and extra rest time when staying on location abroad.

After the cabin crew, Brussels Airlines pilots also issued strike notices. The pilots complained about the high workload and threatened to take action starting December 11th. The management hoped to avoid the actions and ultimately succeeded.

The new measures will become active in January. In April, according to the unions, an evaluation will follow to see whether they have a positive effect on absences through illness of staff that have tended to be very high lately.

Deep-seated discontent

Brussels Airlines operates 40 aircraft and employs just over 500 pilots, of which one in ten is a woman. Last September, as many as 1 400 applicants applied for the entry-level pilot position at Brussels Airlines.

In November, the Brussels Airlines cabin crew announced a strike notice. Initially, it was communicated that the actions would be for the beginning of December or the Christmas holidays. Still, that strike threat was avoided, too.

According to the union, there was a “deep-seated discontent” among the stewards and stewardesses, with management allegedly failing to comply with several collective agreements.

Adjustment of wages was also being demanded. According to the unions, the salaries of the cabin crew, which were cut down during the heavy restructuring during the coronavirus epidemic, are around the minimum, making a reassessment of the wage scales appropriate.

Avoiding two strikes

Brussels Airlines management reacted with surprise to some of the demands. Still, it remained “hopeful and determined to find solutions” to avoid the strike at one of the busiest periods for the airline company. Talks with pilots and cabin crew eventually avoided the strikes.

“We are confident that together we will find balanced and long-term solutions that will give our company and people perspective and growth opportunities,” the management said. But the management, which still posted record results last summer, also pointed out that costs must be controlled “in a very competitive market”.