Belgian union threatens Brussels Airlines strike over flights to Israel
Belgian trade union ACV Puls has threatened a strike at Brussels Airlines over what it says is the mandatory assignment of employees to flights to Tel Aviv. Employees with safety concerns or conscientious objections should have the right to refuse such flights without financial, professional, or disciplinary consequences, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Dispute over crew staffing
ACV Puls, Belgium's largest trade union and one of three unions active at Brussels Airlines, said that the airline is violating previous agreements to use volunteers for flights to Tel Aviv. Brussels Airlines resumed flights on August 3 after a five-month break, and the first flights were operated by volunteer crews.
ACV Puls representative Jolinde Defio said employees have serious concerns about physical safety, as well as the psychological and ethical impact of these flights. According to her, mandatory staff assignments are particularly serious amid the war and what the union calls genocide in Gaza.
Flight attendant representatives warned that a strike could take place if Brussels Airlines does not reverse its decision to return to the regular crew assignment system.
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Positions of the parties
The union also believes that flights to Israel cannot be considered sufficiently safe. It referred to a recommendation by Belgium's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to refrain from all non-essential travel to Israel and Jerusalem.
Brussels Airlines spokesperson Nico Cardone said safety is the company's highest priority regardless of whether flights are staffed by volunteers. According to him, the carrier makes flight decisions based on safety and demand, rather than political issues. Brussels Airlines currently operates three flights a week to Tel Aviv.
ACV Puls claims that the company began forcibly assigning crews due to a shortage of volunteers. Cardone denied this, stating that the airline had planned from the outset to eventually return to the standard assignment schedule. The union also called on the Belgian government to clarify its position on the availability of commercial flights to Israel.
