Strike action at DHL subsidiary in Belgium

Workers in Belgium are taking strike action at European Air Transport (EAT), a subsidiary of DHL, after talks to resolve a dispute over restructuring broke down.

Ground staff, including members of the ITF-affiliated union SETKA BBTK, began an indefinite strike on 6 August in Brussels, a day after negotiations with the company failed. Pilots joined the industrial action during the night shift.

The unions have been voicing concern over management’s restructuring plans for some time, which is set to affect some 400 workers, and have been seeking a settlement, in line with the national legal provisions on collective dismissals. The company has offered workers facing dismissal the statutory minimum, which is well below what employees are entitled to in Belgium when they are covered by a collective agreement

Speaking on Belgian radio, Rik Vermeersch of BBTK predicted that the whole European DHL network could be affected if the strike action continued.

UNI Europa and the European Transport Workers’ Federation - the ITF’s European arm - are alerting members of the DHL aviation hubs network to this situation. They are also urging them, subject to national legislation, not to handle goods transferred to their hub from Brussels. They expressed support for the Belgian unions’ actions and committed to providing them with assistance in achieving the best deal for workers.