- Title: BELGIUM: BELGIAN AIRLINE SABENA HAVE GONE ON STRIKE OVER FEARED JOB CUTS
- Date: 8th August 2001
- Summary: (W5) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (AUGUST 8, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. CU FOOT OF STRIKER ON ROAD 0.04 2. SLV STRIKERS POUNDING GUARD RAIL 0.07 3. PAN STRIKERS WITH FLAGS 0.12 4. LV BLOCKED TRAFFIC PULL OUT SLV STRIKERS 0.23 5. MCU (French) STRIKING WORKER SAYING: "We are demanding that that the Renault rule be enacted. It stipulates that we must be informed of possible decisions which could lead to job losses." 0.34 6. PAN STRIKERS 0.45 7. SLV PEOPLE CARRYING LUGGAGE ON HIGHWAY (2 SHOTS) 0.55 8. LV PEOPLE ON HIGHWAY, PULL OUT SLV STRIKERS 1.10 9. LAS MORE PEOPLE PULLING LUGGAGE ON HIGHWAY 1.16 10. SLV JAPANESE TOURISTS CARRYING LUGGAGE 1.25 11. MCU (English) DUTCH TOURIST SAYING: "They catch us in a net - people can't go take their planes and they have paid for it, in my opinion its a big scandal." 1.39 12. SLV PEOPLE PUSHING LUGGAGE 1.47 13. LV PEOPLE ON HIGHWAY WITH SABENA SIGN IN BACKGROUND 1.51 14. LV INTERIOR OF AIRPORT LOBBY, PEOPLE IN LINE AT SABENA COUNTER 2.03 15. CU FLIGHT BOARD WITH CANCELLATION SIGNS 2.13 16. CU SABENA TICKET 2.19 17. PAN PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE 2.31 18. LAS MAN WITH LUGGAGE 2.37 19. MCU (English) GERMAN TOURIST SAYING: "They don't know anything, they don't even know if the management of Sabena is negotiating or not, so I urged them to ask even if they can give a hint of if it will finish today or tomorrow." 2.56 20. PAN OF FLIGHT BOARD WITH CANCELLATION SIGNS 3.04 21. SV PEOPLE LOOKING AT TICKETS PULL IN TO TICKET 3.14 22. MCU WOMAN LOOKING BORED 3.19 23. SV SABENA BANNER WITH PASSENGERS WAITING BEHIND 3.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Reuters ID: LVA5ZQIKQYWR1M3XEFQVA9PVZO7K
- Story Text: Cleaners, maintenance workers, caterers and baggage
handlers at ailing Belgian airline Sabena have gone on strike
over feared job cuts, forcing the flag carrier to cancel many
of its flights.
Sabena cancelled 45 flights to European destinations
after cleaners, maintenance workers, caterers and baggage
handlers went on strike on Wednesday (August 8) at 0600 GMT at
Brussels international Zaventem airport, spokesman Olivier
Gillis told Reuters.
Some of the strikers blocked the main road leading to the
airport but other airlines were operating normally, a
spokesman for airport operator BIAC said.
The workers were demanding that Sabena management reveal a
drastic restructuring plan to trade unions before a meeting
planned for Thursday with union representatives because some
of the details were leaked to two local newspapers on Tuesday
(August 7).
The newspapers reported that proposals included cutting up
to 2,000 out of 12,000 jobs, scrapping two intercontinental
and six European routes, reducing Sabena's fleet of 79 planes
by 15 to 20, and selling off assets such as catering and
hotels.
The company has refused comment on the reported plan.
Sabena rerouted passengers from Wednesday's (August 8)
cancelled flights to other carriers, Gillis said, adding that
the airline had not cancelled any intercontinental flights.
Cancelled flights included those to Lyon, Leeds-Bradford,
Munich, Gothenburg, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Turin, and Vienna.
Major U.S. and European carriers such as British Airways,
KLM, and American Airlines were operating without any
problems, officials told Reuters.
uh/jrc
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