Belgium-based Ryanair cabin crew are announcing a strike for the weekends of December 30-31 and January 1 and January 7-8. What to expect?
Belgium-based Ryanair cabin crew will be on strike on December 30 and 31 and January 1, 7 and 8 to protest against the attitude of the Irish carrier, which still refuses to guarantee the legal minimum wage in Belgium (also read the box below).
This strike will lead disruption to airline travelers low-cost. The cancellation of 107 flights departing from Charleroi airport for the New Year’s weekend alone, is announced, reports the DH. In total, approximately 19,000 passengers will be affected.
Only flights departing from Charleroi (BSCA) and operated by cabin crew based in Belgium will be affected. These include aircraft with destination of Tenerife, Dublin, Malaga, Lisbon and Marrakech. Ryanair says it is trying to find solutions and contact the passengers concerned one by one.
How to be compensated in the event of a canceled flight?
In the event of an announced strike, if a flight is canceled or delayed for more than three hours, the traveler is entitled to compensation of 250 or 600 euros depending on the type of flight. And this, even if the price of his ticket is already reimbursed by the company.
“Force majeure does not apply when cancellations are the result of a strike by company staff“, recalls Julie Frère, spokesperson for Test-Achats. A force majeure could for example be invoked in the event of a strike by air traffic controllers, stipulates the consumer protection organization. This is also the case in the event of a strike by the security personnel, as last October at Charleroi airport, or even a strike by baggage handlers.
In a message published on the Charleroi airport website, its officials invite travelers to check their emails and text messages to find out if their flight is canceled or not. “TAll flights will not be canceled so it is important to make sure of your flight status before coming to the airport. The airport regrets these strike actions to which it is completely foreign“, can still read.
“An economic crime”
During the last strikes, Ryanair had been resistant to refunds from its customers. Obtaining such compensation is often an obstacle course for the company’s travelers low-cost. Test-Achats had announced in the spring to put Ryanair formal notice to properly inform passengers of their rights to compensation. The Secretary of State in charge of consumer protection (Eva De Bleeker at the time) was also stepping up. “He is unacceptable that consumers are victimized a second time. The rules are clear: flights canceled due to the recent staff strike are eligible for reimbursement and compensation. Ryanair commits an economic crime if it deliberately prevents consumers from enforcing their rights.”
The Secretary of State invites consumers to contact Ryanair and lodge a complaint with the FPS Mobility if the airline refuses to refund or pay compensation. Eva De Bleeker also said that she wanted consumers to be able to claim compensation for canceled flights more easily. To that end, it has been working for some time to establish a one-stop shop where all consumers can go to ask questions and submit reports. The latter should be active at the beginning of 2023.
The Reasons Of The Wrath
In a statement, staff explained that they had “warned the authorities, Ryanair and passengers that if nothing happens by the end of the year, then there will be disruptions to be expected for the end of year celebrations. Unfortunately, nothing has changed. Indeed, the ‘Monopoly’ policy of temporarily and illegally seconding staff to other Ryanair European bases has intensified.”
The hostesses and stewards of the low-cost airline based at Zaventem (Brussles Airport) and Charleroi (BSCA) airports denounce the attitude of the Irish carrierwho still refuses to guarantee the legal minimum wage in Belgium. Negotiations for a new collective labor agreement concerning them has been stalled for months and had already led to the organization of strikes by cabin crew but also pilots at the beginning of last summer.
“At last, the reopening of the Brussels base is not guaranteed, far from it, and the staff who are still in place are in total uncertainty. This is why Ryanair cabin crew will be on strike on 30/12/2022, 31/12/2022 and 01/01/2023 as well as 07/01/2023 and 08/01/2023″.
The management of Charleroi airport denounces a “hostage taking“while, on the side of the unions, it is believed that the expression is exaggerated and that solutions exist for the injured passengers.
The cabin crew of Ryanair based in Belgium will be on strike on December 30 and 31 and on January 1, 7 and 8 to protest against the attitude of the Irish carrier, which still refuses to guarantee the legal minimum wage in Belgium ( Also read the box below). This strike will cause disruption for travelers on the low-cost airline. The cancellation of 107 flights departing from Charleroi airport for the New Year weekend alone has been announced, reports the DH. In total, around 19,000 passengers will be affected. Only flights departing from Charleroi (BSCA) and operated by cabin crew based in Belgium will be affected. These include planes to Tenerife, Dublin, Malaga, Lisbon and Marrakech. Ryanair says it is trying to find solutions and contact the passengers concerned one by one. In the event of an announced strike, if a flight is canceled or delayed for more than three hours, the traveler is entitled to compensation of 250 or 600 euros depending on the type of flight. And this, even if the price of his ticket is already the subject of a refund by the company. Julie Frère, spokesperson for Test-Achats. A force majeure could for example be invoked in the event of a strike by air traffic controllers, stipulates the consumer protection organization. This is also the case in the event of a strike by security personnel, as last October at Charleroi airport. Or even a strike by baggage handlers. In a message published on the Charleroi airport website, its officials invite travelers to check their emails and text messages to find out if their flight is canceled or not. “Not all flights will be canceled so it is important to check the status of your flight before coming to the airport. The airport regrets these strike actions to which it is completely unrelated”, can still read . During the last strikes, Ryanair had been resistant to reimbursements from its customers. Obtaining such compensation is often an obstacle course for low-cost airline travelers. Test-Achats had announced in the spring to put Ryanair on notice to properly inform passengers of their rights to compensation. The Secretary of State in charge of consumer protection (Eva De Bleeker at the time) was also stepping up. “It is unacceptable for consumers to be victimized a second time. The rules are clear: flights canceled due to the recent staff strike are eligible for reimbursement and compensation. Ryanair is committing an economic crime if it deliberately prevents consumers to exercise their rights”. The Secretary of State invites consumers to contact Ryanair and lodge a complaint with the FPS Mobility if the airline refuses to refund or pay compensation. Eva De Bleeker also said that she wanted consumers to be able to claim compensation for canceled flights more easily. To that end, it has been working for some time to establish a one-stop shop where all consumers can go to ask questions and submit reports. The latter should be active at the beginning of 2023.
Tags: Ryanair strike Years weekend impact Belgium travelers Companies
