Several witnesses present at Charleroi airport this Sunday afternoon pressed our orange Alert us button to report a strike. “Strike by security personnel since around 2:30 p.m. They prevented passengers from entering. For a few minutes we have finally seen passengers pass the security check“, for example, Michel wrote to us at 3:40 p.m.
Our witnesses sent us pictures of the situation:
One of our teams went there and found that the departures hall was completely full around 4 p.m.
The plane had not even left that they were already telling us that we could no longer pass
Among the passengers who were to leave, it is disappointment. We interviewed Josephine. The young woman was to go to Timisoara, Romania, as part of her veterinary studies. “Honestly, not even 10 minutes away… at 2 p.m. we were there and the plane hadn’t even left when they were already telling us that we couldn’t get through. Frankly, it’s sad. We had to take a ticket from Paris to Timisoara on Tuesday. Knowing that I was starting classes tomorrow, Monday. So I miss my pre-start on Monday and I miss all my practical work (TP) on Tuesday because the flight is at 8 p.m. I miss important TPs. You have to catch them, etc. From the beginning of the year it starts badly“, she told us.
The one-hour strike is spontaneous. Originally: a disagreement between the security branch of the airport and the staff. At the resumption, the queues are long to pass the security stage and chaos reigns. The flights are almost all on time, but it is the passengers who are slowed down on their way to their aircraft. Not all passengers were able to make up for lost time.
Fear of security guards in the face of change
In a press release on Sunday evening, the airport announced that this movement of discontent has its origin in the decision of BSCA Security to award the future public contract relating to security checks to two operators (2 lots), instead of only one. Security staff are concerned about the takeover of current officers by the two upcoming operators, as well as possible differences in training and pay.
In its press release, the management says it is ready to frame this problem as well as possible in the clauses of the specifications governing the market. It recalls that wages are also governed by joint committee 317. “The airport deplores this movement of wild discontent which is taking passengers hostage even though discussions were still held on Thursday 30 September during which the management of BSCA Security directly confirmed its desire to provide the best possible framework for the public market to respond the expectations of the staff of its subcontractor Security Master“, adds the press release.