Brussels Airlines : pilots strike looming

[FlightMate]

Fleet expansion, renewal... can wait two weeks, a month, can't it?

Maybe I'm wrong, but in his interview, it really looks like he had to have this money by the end of the year (although he was trying to minimize the hurry)

But now, if the money comes as a discount on service fees at BRU airport, I guess it won't be immediately shown on the 2013 balance sheet.

[hvs89]

One of the goal of SN is to break even for fiscal year 2013, so I guess they need it to reach this objective? But if the envelope is given to BRU airport, it won't have a direct impact on SN's results for this year.

In the article of LLB it is said that by giving this envelope to Brussels Airport and not to the 3 airlines I mentioned, they avoid any problem with the EU Commission. But indeed the reaction of other airlines will be interesting!

[liege-bierset]

Tricky Melchiore is busy preparing his re-election. They all have the same motivation, keeping their piece of cheese.
L'Etat éclaircit le ciel de Brussels Airlines
Le Vif
Source: Belga
samedi 14 décembre 2013 à 09h08
Le gouvernement va étudier la possibilité d'une aide indirecte pour les compagnies aériennes belges, et donc Brussels Airlines, via Brussels Airport, révèlent samedi L'Echo et De Tijd.

http://www.levif.be/info/actualite/belg ... r-RNBDAGLV

[sean1982]

The funny thing is that his previous plan was shot down by europe, so the money will now be given by reducing charges for firemen and security at BRU. This is for ALL airlines at BRU though.

Will we see SN fares going down?
Will this lowering of charges attract more flights from the lo-co's ?

[FlightMate]

Are security charges included in the ticket taxes?

I suspect SN will keep the total price unchanged (advertised price), but taxes will be reduced.

[FlightMate]

10,000 jobs at are stake should SN go bankrupt, according to the government (and BRU airport).

Hence they say the financial help is needed to preserve jobs.

Funny how at the time of Sabena, this wasn't considered anymore?

[b-west]

Interesting to read today that according to Davignon, the Europe network isn't loss making anymore, but now Africa is in trouble. The competition of RAM, Turkish, Ethiopian and others is now starting to hurt apparently. Their cheap fares seem to make travellers forget the sometimes long layovers. SN once said they're aiming for a different segment of the market, but I guess that segment isn't as big as they hoped?

[fcw]

10,000 jobs at are stake should SN go bankrupt, according to the government (and BRU airport).Hence they say the financial help is needed to preserve jobs.

That is IF BruAir, JAF and Thomas Cook would all disappear without being replaced.
Only BruAir is on the edge of bankruptcy and in case they go tits up several airlines will fill up the void, so it is propaganda to make state support to BruAir acceptable.

[airbuske]

That is IF BruAir, JAF and Thomas Cook would all disappear without being replaced.
Only BruAir is on the edge of bankruptcy and in case they go tits up several airlines will fill up the void, so it is propaganda to make state support to BruAir acceptable.

It's not only support to SN but also JAF and TCW

[RoMax]

http://trends.knack.be/economie/belga-e ... 931793.htm
No actions until at least after New Year. Discussions will continue in January and February and until then there will be no new actions.
Though like the pilots (unions) don't thrust the management, I don't know if I can thrust those unions.

[shockcooling]

http://trends.knack.be/economie/belga-e ... 931793.htm
No actions until at least after New Year. Discussions will continue in January and February and until then there will be no new actions.
Though like the pilots (unions) don't thrust the management, I don't know if I can thrust those unions.

RoMax, who is there for you to trust in this matter, management or pilots (unions)? What the pilots are discussing internally, I wonder what it matters to you. It's just spread out in the news, as a sensational item.

[RoMax]

RoMax, who is there for you to trust in this matter, management or pilots (unions)? What the pilots are discussing internally, I wonder what it matters to you. It's just spread out in the news, as a sensational item.

If pilots believe striking (or threatening with actions) is the way foreward and only concerns themselves and 'their' careers, maybe it's time to change that mentality.
Now they promise not to strike again until furter discussions with the management next year...well I heard that before and these promisses didn't last very long. So I just hope they keep their promise this time. I'll fly with SN at the end of the month and I would really like to have that flight actually being operated, otherwise I'll think twice before booking SN again. Is that selfish of me? Maybe, but that's how most of 'your' passengers think. As someone who wants the best for SN, I would be a passengers which would return to SN quite easily, but don't think all people are like that and choose SN because they like the company. And no passengers, no career for you either.

I understand you don't want to take everything of the management, but striking is not done in my opinion (unless you are about to get fired by hundreds), especially when one of the element of complaining includes some selfish old pilots that refuse to leave the company to let young pilots keep a full time job. Probably that's far from the main reason for most of the pilots to complain, but please make sure your unions communicate better, because they don't help changing the way the media tells about this whole matter.

[Passenger]

http://trends.knack.be/economie/belga-e ... 931793.htm
No actions until at least after New Year. Discussions will continue in January and February and until then there will be no new actions.
Though like the pilots (unions) don't thrust the management, I don't know if I can thrust those unions.

RoMax, who is there for you to trust in this matter, management or pilots (unions)? What the pilots are discussing internally, I wonder what it matters to you. It's just spread out in the news, as a sensational item.

It's not the journalists who make a "sensational item" of it. It is the unions themselves who spread the news. At this very moment in the online edition of De Standaard: "...Afgelopen maandag was er dan een ontmoeting met voorzitter Davignon. Die kon de gemoederen weer bedaren, want intussen circuleerde bij de luchtvaartmaatschappij een pamflet waarin gedreigd werd met staking. Die dreiging is nu afgewend, zo bevestigen zowel Olivier Van Camp (BBTK) als Paul Buekenhout (LBC). ‘Er is unaniem beslist om geen actie te voeren of te staken zolang de onderhandelingen lopen’, luidt het. Voor de 58-plussers is een oplossing gevonden. De directie krijgt tot 15 januari de tijd om met een voorstel te komen rond de overuren. Andere kwesties, zoals de pensioenen, zullen nadien ‘stap voor stap’ besproken worden. De sociaal bemiddelaar stelde eerder al 15 maart als streefdatum voor een globaal akkoord..."

Translated: the union delegates say that they won't spoil holidays or business trips untill 15th January. But if management doens't come with a solution before 15th January, they will probably go on strike again.

You may call this "discussing internally" - I call such public statement by the unions cutting the branch you are sitting on. It's called the Belgian disease. Just like the Belgian unions did with General Motors: "we fight for you". Whilst the American unions invested cash into the new GM, the Belgian unions from Opel Belgium organized "industrial action". The result? GM USA is alive and well, Opel Belgium is buried.

full article in De Standaard:
http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20131218_00893979

[sean1982]

For once I agree with passenger. Belgian employees and their unions have found a very efficiënt way to drive their Companies and themselves into the ground when the going gets though. I think somebody forgot to tell them that the golden ages are over for a long time allready. Our social system is in the brink of unpayable and everyone is just protecting themselves rather than looking at the big picture. Boy am I happy not to work for a belgian company.

[Pocahontas]

As I mentioned earlier: there will be no strike!

[sean1982]

For now, but the treath is still there. Enough for passengers to think twice about booking SN after jan 15th

[Passenger]

As I mentioned earlier: there will be no strike!

Pocahontas, you still don't get it.

Imagine you want to book a Valentine city trip to Venice. Imagine you absolutely have to go to the Annual Trade Fair for Veterinary Goods Suppliers in Moscow on 30-31 January. Imagine you are a travel agent and one of your clients is that school that books the annual trip for the 75 last year's students, in May, to Sicily.

Would you then book Brussels Airlines if there are other possibilities? The unions have given the answer to that question in their stupid press release from yesterday "no strike before 15th January":

For now, but the treath is still there. Enough for passengers to think twice about booking SN after jan 15th

[Pocahontas]

I admit, I don't get it. The only smart people are here...
Well this works both ways doesn't it, if management would go for a solution, there wouldn't be a strike notice anymore. Management decides to play it hard as well... So they are willing to take the risk. So management is stupid as well here...

[convair]

@Pocahontas
And, of course, money is no problem!
Did you read the latest news about your company's financial situation by any chance? If you did, pass on the good news to your union!

[fcw]

especially when one of the element of complaining includes some selfish old pilots that refuse to leave the company to let young pilots keep a full time job. Probably that's far from the main reason for most of the pilots to complain, but please make sure your unions communicate better, because they don't help changing the way the media tells about this whole matter.

Two years ago the special pension fund for pilots has been abolished because the money for the fund was used to subsidise BruAir. Pilots can no longer retire at 55 and these boys are too old to find a job abroad, so they would be without income for up to 7 years.
Do you still think they are selfish?