For many who do not know it, Belgium, like Switzerland, is also famous for its banks, financial institutions. Of course, my people are very good in producing very high grade steel and beautiful sturdy skyscrapers, railways and bridges, among our other talents. Of course, my people are also active in science, medicine and missionary work. A lot of Belgian faithful, doctors, medical workers go on mission to the wilderness of Africa and places like the Cordillera Mountain Range here in the Philippines.
The Philippines can be reached via air travel on its own airline, Philippine Air Lines. Or on any other airline. In my country, even on our national flag carrier. Our national airline changed a number of times due to the downfall of the aviation company running it. But I never heard our workers like in Manila and Sydney, Australia go berserk over employer – worker disputes. Mmmm. Never. Maybe I’m wrong, but we’ve had crashes, hijackings, etc., etc., but never airline workers’ strike nor company lockout.
Ten years ago, in 2001, our carrier SABENA went bankrupt and the first national airline of Belgium that lived from 1923 to 2001, a common sight at the Brussels National Airport, was no more.
SN Brussels Airlines, then only recently formed, took over part of the flag carrier – SABENA’s assets – the year after. The new carrier became the SN Brussels Airlines that it is now.
Like our religious and medical missionaries the SABENA originally flew the lonely Brussels to Africa routes. Of course, this is not the case now. SN Brussels Airlines flies all over the world. Recently, SNBA merged with LuftHansa, so now our flag carrier is a German company! Can you imagine that?
As long as it flies, who cares? As long that it will have workers that are unlike the PALEA or the FASAP that will not file cases against the national flag carrier at the highest court of Belgium that we call the Cour de Cassation.
Incidentally, Belgium used to be part owner of the first airline of Congo, Air Congo. Many Filipino air force soldiers have traveled to and worked in Africa as pilots. (Makes me really sad for the Philippine’s Air Force!) Unlike PAL, Air Congo received only threats of workers to strike. I haven’t really heard of a real strike in Air Congo. Not like PAL, it did not have to ground its aircrafts.
I guess, problematic employee-worker relations can be fixed providing that any one side in the conflict will be open to possible win-win solutions to the problem. If the PALEA, the FASAP cannot come into terms with PAL and vice versa then they don’t want the airline to continue. Ultimateldon’t want the airline to continue. Ultimately PAL has to close down, just like SABENA, and declare itself bankrupt.
That becomes absolutely more painful for PALEA and FASAP more than it would be for PAL. Like our own Belgian civil aviation, there has to be room for better understanding, for tolerance and for looking forward to saving the airline instead of ditching it by making the worst kinds of mistakes.
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