A national strike in Belgium is set to disrupt air travel and public transport. The strike is set to take place next Wednesday, February 13, officially running from 10 p.m. the night before to 10 p.m. the night of February 13 (all times local).
Brussels Airlines reports that it expects major flight disruptions on February 13. The airline had already cancelled 28 out of the total 222 flights planned for that day as of last week; however, as more information on the scale of the strike has become available, the airline has decided to cancel an additional 122 flights. That is a total of 68 percent of the airline’s flights canceled, affecting 11,288 passengers.
Brussels Airlines says that passengers with canceled flights who no longer wish to travel can request a full refund of their ticket. Refunds can be requested online on www.brusselsairlines.com/refund. Rebookings are also available via the airline’s call center at 32-2-723-2362.
The list of all cancelled Brussels Airlines flights is available here.
According to the Brussels Times, unions are holding the strike to protest a breakdown in talks involving wages within the Group of Ten, an organization comprised of unions and managers. While the breakdown in talks only affects private sector unions, public sector unions – including those representing rail workers – have joined the strike call, which could lead to disruptions in public transportation on February 13. The SNCB rail service is legally obligated to hold a minimum service; however, other areas of public transportation could experience even more severe disruptions.
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