In 2018, under pressure from the trade unions, Ryanair accepted the application of Belgian labor law and appointed a personnel director with knowledge of local legislation. It is no longer in function. In addition, a collective labor agreement for on-board personnel concluded in the spring of 2019 expired at the end of last month. It determined a fixed income for the staff, regardless of the number of flights performed.
According to the unions, 75 percent of cabin crew are paid the sectoral minimum wage. “They work on holidays, weekends, early and late hours for a paltry 2,000 euros gross, while Ryanair in Charleroi has a profit margin of 30 percent,” the unions said.
The pilots are not participating in the strike, but negotiations are ongoing for them too. At the beginning of April, the unions warned that social peace is not certain among them either.
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