SNBA on strike

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Kapitein
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SNBA on strike

Post by Kapitein »

SNBA pilots are on strike this morning. Several flights are cancelled and delayed due to this. :twisted:

Does anyone know why they are on strike? Heard something about their holidays that they can't take but don't know if this is true.

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sn26567
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Post by sn26567 »

See SN press release https://www.aviation24.be/article6532.html

Already cancelled this morning:
06:55 Copenhagen SN 2255
07:00 Geneva SN 2711
07:05 Berlin THF SN 2579
07:05 Vienna SN 2901
07:20 Munich SN 2641
08:45 Warsaw SN 2553
08:45 Hamburg SN 2623
08:50 Lyon SN 3587
09:15 Oslo SN 2281
09:15 Stockholm SN 2291
09:15 Helsinki SN 2333
09:25 Birmingham SN 2039
09:30 Gothenburg SN 2271
09:35 Bologna SN 3123
09:40 Turin SN 3191
09:55 Milan MXP SN 3157
10:10 Venice VCE SN 3201
11:05 Milan LIN TV 736 (solidarity?)
11:45 Florence SN 3139

Many oter flights delayed until after 11:00
André
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sn26567
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Post by sn26567 »

The reasons of the strike are indeed loss of holidyas, but also management request for increased productivity, low salaries, change of working conditions;, absence of dialogue with management and management refusal of conciiliation procedure by Ministry of Labour.
André
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blackhawk
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Post by blackhawk »

Piloten SNBA voeren actie tegen nieuwe verlofregeling - update 2

(belga) - De piloten van de luchtvaartmaatschappij SN Brussels Airlines voeren vrijdagochtend actie om te protesteren tegen een nieuwe vakantieregeling. De vluchten vertrekken met vertraging. Volgens de directie voert 'slechts een minderheid' van de piloten actie. De bonden zelf spreken van een 'waarschuwingsactie'.

Volgende week woensdag gaan de vakbonden rond de tafel zitten met de directie van het bedrijf.

'Het is een waarschuwingsactie. We pikken het niet dat de directie wijzigingen wil doorvoeren in onder meer de vakantieregeling van de piloten', zegt Nathalie Hiel van het ACV. Volgens Hiel wil de top van het bedrijf in de toekomst de vakantie niet meer plannen in blokken, zoals nu het geval is, en zal een deel van de piloten niet meer op voorhand weten wanneer hun vakantie valt.

Met de actie willen de vakbonden ook andere heikele punten aanklagen. 'Er zijn te weinig piloten. In drukke periodes kampen we daardoor met onderbezetting. Ook de manier waarop gepland wordt, is niet altijd optimaal', zegt Hiel nog. Volgens de vakbond is dit alles nefast voor het sociaal leven van de piloten.

Volgens het ACV wordt de actie ruim opgevolgd. 'Er zijn een aantal vluchten afgelast, dat betekent toch dat de staking steun krijgt', aldus Hiel. Of er in de periode tot de vergadering van woensdag nog acties zijn gepland, is volgens Hiel voorlopig nog onduidelijk.

De directie laat weten 'al het mogelijke' te doen om de hinder te beperken. Passagiers met vragen over hun vluchten kunnen Brussels Airlines contacteren op het nummer 070 35 11 11. Een telefoontje naar dit nummer leerde dat een aantal vluchten (onder meer naar Berlijn, Kopenhagen en München) inderdaad afgelast zijn. De directie roept alle passagiers op toch naar de luchthaven te komen.

De actie begon om 6 uur en duurt tot 11 uur. Het gaat om de eerste sociale actie sinds de oprichting van SNBA, na het faillissement van Sabena.

Sorry no translation, I have to go ...

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Avro
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Post by Avro »

It's said to see that the situation had to deteriorate to such a point were communications isn't possible anymore.

And who will be the looser in all this action, first of all the passengers who won't be happy with the strike !!!

Sad news :(

Let's hope that the end of this story will be more happy.

Chris

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sn26567
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Post by sn26567 »

blackhawk wrote:Het gaat om de eerste sociale actie sinds de oprichting van SNBA, na het faillissement van Sabena.
The first industrial action since the demise of Sabena?

Well here we go with the old Sabena tactics again. They have led to bankruptcy. Let's hope that this time they will find a solution. Quick!
André
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sn26567
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Post by sn26567 »

And finally an article in English from Forbes:
SN Brussels Pilots Delay Flights
11.19.2004, 05:18 AM

Pilots of SN Brussels Airlines delayed departure of morning flights Friday to protest proposed changes to their vacation rules, officials said.

The action affected about 10 early morning departures and some passengers were shuttled to other planes to limit delays, said SN Brussels Airliness.

The pilots said management wants to break up their four-week vacations into shorter periods - a move the pilots reject. SNBA said there was a negotiating window until the end of the month and the airline considers the early labor action illegal.

Some 3.2 million people flew with SN last year.
André
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LX-LGX
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Post by LX-LGX »

ON the flemish radio they also insisted by saying that only 10 flights were cancelled.

We've read the list here: 19 flights cxld. But also the return flights have been cxld = 38 in total!


Do the pilots really think these pax fly SN ever again ?

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sn26567
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Post by sn26567 »

According to RTL radio, the strike is over:
Fin de l'action sociale à la SN Brussels Airlines

L'action menée ce matin dès 05h30 par une partie (minoritaire selon la direction) des pilotes de la compagnie SN Brussels Airlines a été clôturée vers 11h00 comme annoncé. Environ 65 pc des vols ont pu être assurés et aucun passager n'est resté en rade, a précisé SNBA. Les différents vols prévus devaient reprendre progressivement leur cours normal.

Les pilotes avaient déclenché cette action pour protester contre le nouveau système de gestion des jours de congé projeté par la direction. Selon Nathalie Hiel (ACV, la CSC flamande), la direction souhaite ne plus planifier les vacances en blocs comme c'est le cas actuellement. Ce qui aura pour conséquence qu'une partie des pilotes ne connaîtront plus à l'avance les dates de leurs vacances. Les syndicats doivent rencontrer la direction mercredi prochain pour discuter du problème.

Le porte-parole de SNBA a stigmatisé cette action qualifiée de sauvage. Celle-ci n'avait en effet pas été annoncée préalablement et a été déclenchée qui plus est par une minorité de pilotes, a-t-il affirmé. La direction de l'entreprise déplore cette action menée alors qu'il avait été convenu de tenter de dégager avant la fin novembre un compromis sous l'égide d'un conciliateur social, le personnel s'abstenant entre-temps de toute action, a ajouté le porte-parole. L'arrangement entre la direction et les syndicats doit prendre en compte, d'une part, les contraintes de flexibilité propres à une compagnie aérienne, et d'autre part, la vie sociale des pilotes, a encore précisé le porte-parole.

Celui-ci a encore indiqué que la compagnie avait tout fait pour dégager une solution pour l'ensemble des passagers. Au total, une dizaine de vols vers des destinations européennes ont dû être annulés. Les passagers ont néanmoins pu rallier leur destination via d'autres vols SNBA ou avec d'autres compagnies. Les vols africains ont par contre été assurés normalement.
André
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C_J
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Post by C_J »

I hope this doesn't become a habit...

MR
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Post by MR »

Sorry,but I don't agree to taking strike action... think it isn't wise. There must be better and safer ways to reach the management.
Greetz...MR.

LX-LGX
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Post by LX-LGX »

The strike comes just days after this superb news from SNBA:


SN Brussels Airlines concludes third quarter with net profit - November 18, 2004

In ongoing difficult market conditions, SN Brussels Airlines has concluded the third quarter with a net profit of Euro 5 million. “Flexibility and extreme vigilance on costs is more than ever needed?, comments Chief Executive Officer Peter Davies.

Total revenues of the 3rd quarter (period July-September 2004) increased by almost 4 percent to Euro 159,92 million. SN Brussels Airlines achieved an operating result of Euro 3,28 million and a net result of euro 5 million compared to a net profit of Euro 2 million for the 3rd quarter of 2003.

If we compare the year to date net results of 2004 with the same period in 2003, SN has made a huge turnaround in operational and net result of Euro 28 million.

These positive figures are the result of a higher load factor, an optimisation of the capacity and of continuous cost saving programmes.

876.636 passengers were welcomed on the scheduled services. This is an increase with 54.288 passengers compared to last year. The load factor increased with 3,5 pct. points to 69,4 pct.

Commercial highlight of the third quarter was the launch of a completely revamped website ‘flySN.com’ and a new transparent booking engine both resulting in an immediate sales increase.

The traditional weaker business travel results of the summer season were partly compensated throughout the quarter by an intensive charter flight activity.

However, on the cost side SN suffered from a dramatic increase in jet fuel prices of 60 pct only partly offset by fuel hedging.

Chief Executive Officer Peter Davies: “Given the ongoing difficult market context, the positive results reflect how determined our staff is to succeed. As already said in previous statements, there is no room for complacency in this tough industry. The fuel prices take out very large part of all our savings and revenue increases. Flexibility and extreme vigilance on costs is more than ever needed. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic about the 2004 year end result and the achievement of our budget target of Euro 2,5 million net result.

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Post by regi »

yep,
when I read the news that SN was making profit, I was thinking "they will have to divide it again"
What would be the loss of todays action?

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Post by LX-LGX »

I’m not a yield manager and I have a very cheap calculator, so could be I’m wrong with many 10.000’s of euros…

19 flights (one way) were cancelled, thus 38 rotations. At an average of 70 pax per flight, this means that some 2.500 clients were affected.

Direct loss (nett or gross):

1. seats bought at other airlines: 300 at 200 euro each = 60.000 euros
2. meals & drinks vouchers: 1.000 at 10 euro each = 10.000 euros
3. refunds: 500 pax at 300 euro each = 150.000 euros

Short term and medium term loss:

From the 2.500 clients that were stranded last Friday, some 10 agree that going on strike to get 4 consecutive weeks of holiday is justified. The other 2.490 stranded pax are still angry because they’ve missed their important meeting in Münich, Helsinki or Milan for one of the most stupid reasons a strike ever took place. They all say that they will not fly SNBA for the next few years, but only half of them indeed will do so (because there are no other possibilities for them).

The pilots made their company loose some 750.000 euros: 1.500 clients are gone, each with a value of some 500 euros. Because SNBA’s occupancy is not 100%, these pax are not replaced by ohers: their seats will be empty and this turnover indeed can be seen almost as a nett loss.

Trust it’s no secret that Rob Kuipers and Etienne de Nil want to fly to Asia. They need financial backup from Davignon and Lippens, but will this be possible after Friday’s disaster?

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sn26567
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Post by sn26567 »

The SN pilots are, strangely, very silent on this forum. It would be nice to hear their opinion as well.
André
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tolipanebas
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Post by tolipanebas »

ONE important remark here:

The strike is NOT about being able to take 4 consecutive weeks of holiday leave as has been wrongly and intentionally spread in the media by the SN management.
The stike is about being able to take all leave (a total of 4 weeks) in consecutive ways, and NOT like the management imposed now, to have a total of 2 weeks planned at company discretion only and most probably split out over a number of single days off!!!

Makes quite a difference, isn't it?

Would you like to see almost half of your free days planned by your boss only and most likely scheduled one by one at random on 'quiet days'????

Guess not....


------------------------------------------------------

LX-LGX
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Post by LX-LGX »

No tolipanebas, it doesn't make a difference at all. It's a detail.

Negociations about holiday plans in a young company in the most risky business branch of the world should take place in a meeting room, not on the tarmac.

Why didn't you wait till the decision about the holiday schedules was officially announced?

Passengers were taken hostage, and there is no excuse for that.

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tolipanebas
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Post by tolipanebas »

You just don't have a clue, have you?

This is exactly why no pilot ever bothers to post on this forum anymore: i.e. some people commenting and even arguing strongly with them without knowing any of the facts.

The new holiday system is officially and unilaterally introduced by the management, dumbhead! It was not just a rumour or a plan! Pilots received a 10-paged explanatory letter on how to proceed for biddings in the new system and were urged to make their biddings asap already a month ago!

Seems things are only official in your eyes after they have been communicated on the website or posted in YOUR personal mailbox? Does SN has to notify YOU personally before things are official?

ONE month pased and despite many meetings, no changes could be made to the proposal, not even by the NEUTRAL mediator of the Ministery of Labour, who agreed with ALL pilot claims and asked the management to give in! 8O

And still, you feel stong enough to comment? :roll:

Do you think it is normal for your boss to be able to decide unilaterally when and how you will take 10 of your free days? OK then my frind, take your diary, because you'll have single midweek offdays on 3/2, 7/3, 29/4, 15/5, 17/5, 26/9, 30/9, 15/10, 12/11, 21/12 for instance. :evil:

LX-LGX
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Post by LX-LGX »

Even it's true, there is absolutely no reason to take passengers in hostage.

Passengers have nothing to do with your dispute. Why didn't you go to the Koningsstraat / Rue Royale, and block off mr Davignon's office for one morning? That would put pressure on your bosses.

Using innocent people as a weapon is poor, very poor.

almayer
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Post by almayer »

LX-LGX wrote:Even it's true, there is absolutely no reason to take passengers in hostage.

Passengers have nothing to do with your dispute. Why didn't you go to the Koningsstraat / Rue Royale, and block off mr Davignon's office for one morning? That would put pressure on your bosses.

Using innocent people as a weapon is poor, very poor.
I'm not a big fan of strikes (flying frequently), but I'd like to see the management of SN take the same vacation rules for themselves... :twisted:

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