As was the case on Thursday all flights that were due to leave from or arrive at Charleroi Airport in Hainaut Province have been cancelled again today. Staff at the airport that is sometimes referred to as “Brussels South Charleroi Airport” are staging another 24-hour strike in protest at what they describe as a high workload and aggressive management style.
Management had hoped that some flights might have been able to take off or land. However, the impact of today’s strike is greater than had been expected. Staff that are members of the unions that represent personnel at the airport have block access to it.
It is the second day that the airport has been completely paralysed with plan being unable to either take off or land. Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA)‘s spokeswoman Nathalie Pierard told VRT News that the scale of the action means that safety and security can not be guaranteed.
„We regret that the passengers are being taken hostage in this way by this strike action.“
Affected travelers should not come to the airport but contact their airline.
On Thursday all 186 flights to and from Charleroi were cancelled. This affected around 30,000 passengers. The airport management hoped for reconciliation talks with the unions, but on Friday it became clear that the strike would continue. The number of flights and passengers affected today will be higher as Friday is traditionally a busy day at the airport.
Pressure of work
The dispute at Charleroi Airport primarily concerns the high pressure of work experienced by its staff. The unions say that this has become insufferable due to many staff being absent on sick leave. The unions also say that the style of management at the airport is “aggressive”.
The unions had already issued a strike notice covering the period from Thursday 19 September. The strike notice covers all the key services at the airport such as baggage handling, check-in, etc...