Belgian trade union ACV Puls filed a formal strike notice Tuesday in protest of Brussels Airlines’ decision to resume flights to Tel Aviv while requiring employees to accept assignments on the Israel route.
The union says the move reverses an earlier agreement under which flights to Tel Aviv would initially be staffed only by employees who volunteered for them.
A Brussels Airlines plane. Workers are threatening protest action against flights to Israel
(Photo: odecam / Shutterstock)
“There are serious concerns among employees regarding physical safety, as well as the psychological and ethical impact of the flights,” said Yolinde Defeu of the union.
According to the union, Brussels Airlines is not allowing employees to refuse assignments to Israel despite the security situation.
ACV Puls argues that requiring employees to fly to Israel under the current circumstances is inconsistent with an employer’s responsibility to protect workers from security and health risks.
The objections are not based solely on safety concerns. The union also explicitly cites the “psychological and ethical” implications of the flights, with its representative referring in this context to the war and to what she described as the “genocide in Gaza.”
The strike notice took effect on Sept. 1. The union said that if Brussels Airlines does not reverse its decision, protest measures could follow and would affect only flights to and from Israel.
ACV Puls also said it would defend employees who refuse to fly to Israel, which it defines as a war zone.
The union pointed to travel warnings issued by Belgium’s Foreign Ministry, which continues to warn of a volatile security situation and advises against nonessential travel to Israel and Jerusalem.
It also cited an earlier attempt to resume Tel Aviv flights, when a missile struck the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport shortly before one of the airline’s scheduled departures.
Brussels Airlines said in response that safety remains its highest priority.
The airline said flights to Tel Aviv resumed during the summer and were staffed by volunteers during the first weeks of renewed service.
According to the company, after operations resumed successfully, it decided that normal crew-assignment procedures could now be restored.
Brussels Airlines added that it and the other airlines in the Lufthansa Group continue to monitor developments closely and that procedures may be changed at any time depending on conditions on the ground.