27 June 2007

BRUSSELS – Tens of thousands of travellers could be faced with significant delays at Zaventem airport next week, at the height of the holiday season. The trade unions at baggage handling company Flightcare are threatening actions starting on 6 July. Flightcare handles almost three-quarters of the baggage at Brussels Airport, including that of Brussels Airlines and tour operator Jetair/TUI.

The unions at Flightcare, ABVV and ACV, are protesting the shortage of personnel. "That has increased the work load and made labour conditions unsafe," they say. "The company is not adhering to legislation regarding wages and premiums," they add.

The unions announced the plans to strike on Tuesday after Maria Vindevoghel, accompanied by a process server, went to Flightcare to request that she be re-hired. The ACV union representative was dismissed in July 2005 because the company claimed she did not comply with safety regulations. The labour tribunal found that she had been wrongly dismissed, but the company still refuses to rectify the situation.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news