Brussels airport baggage handlers strike affects thousands

On Wednesday, air traffic at the Brussels International Airport returned to normal operations after negotiators for management and the baggage handlers agreed to a deal, according to airport spokesperson, Jan Van der Cruysse.

A strike by baggage handlers, which began late Sunday night, impacted more than 12,000 passengers, and came about when there was a continued lack of progress toward an agreement over working conditions, airport management added.

“Negotiations… are continuing painfully,” airport officials commented in a statement, after a session between management and workers’ representatives ended on Monday.

“The consequences of this action, even in the best-case scenario, will be felt tomorrow,” the statement, issued on Monday, continued.

Most flights were delayed or cancelled on Monday, and some were diverted to other airports in the region.

Although the airport’s operator did not provide exact figures, according to the Belgian media, one-third of all flights were cancelled. Inconveniences for passengers continued through Tuesday as well.

Brussels Airlines brought in additional workers to help out and was only of the few airlines that was able to operate services at all. Nearly all of its 200 scheduled flights were able to take off at some point in the day, although there numerous lengthy delays – on both Monday and Tuesday.

Several flights on both days were diverted to Amsterdam, Charleroi and Liege airports, and passengers on those flights were transferred by bus.

Many passengers were inconvenienced when they were not able to reclaim baggage they had checked before their flights were cancelled.

Workers for the baggage handling companies initiated the work stoppage late on Sunday, protesting their working conditions.

www.brusselsairport.be