Travellers sue airport strikers

27 April 2007

BRUSSELS – Some 200 travellers are suing the security personnel who went on strike at Zaventem airport on 13 April. If they win the case it would be the first time in Belgium that strikers will personally be held responsible for economic damage, Het Laatste Nieuws writes today.

“The joint claim comes to EUR 100,000 at the moment. We are demanding about EUR 2,000 from each individual striker,” says Peter Cafmeyer, the lawyer representing the duped travellers. “Going on strike is a right, but you mustn’t overdo it. You can’t just strand 26,000 people because you want an extra meal ticket.”

Cafmeyer has launched a website to unite the duped travellers. The lawyer says dozens of new claims are coming in each day.

Cafmeyer thinks he has a good chance of winning the case in court and has the support of professor of labour law Roger Blanpain. “The strikers clearly overdid it in trying to enforce their demand. The judge will certainly take that into account. Hopefully this is the first step in scrapping the right to strike in certain sensitive sectors, like the railways and airport,” Blanpain said.

The trade unions are not concerned. “The right to strike is an absolute right in Belgium. As a result the strikers shouldn’t worry,” says Lode Verschingel of the ACV trade union.

Subject: Belgian news