European Airlines Staff Strike. Thousands of Flights at Risk?
Scandinavian Airlines System staff went on strike Friday, which could result in flight cancellations. A mediator failed to reconcile the two sides.
Cabin crew at Scandinavian airline SAS in Norway went on strike on Friday, demanding better pay and working conditions after pay talks broke down overnight, Reuters reports. Unions and the carrier said the strike had disrupted some flights.
So far, 120 cabin crew have walked off the job, which is expected to affect only a “limited number” of flights. However, it is expected that the Scandinavian airline could cancel more if more workers join the strike.
SAS Staff Strike. Flights to Poland May Be Cancelled
The carrier’s planes serve flights to Gdansk, Poznan and Warsaw, among others. Tickets for weekend flights from Copenhagen to Poland are currently available on the website. “We recommend that passengers check flysas.com for up-to-date information before heading to the airport,” we read.
It is worth recalling that two years ago, a 15-day strike by SAS pilots resulted in the suspension of 3,700 flights. Even earlier, in 2019, due to the strike, some connections between Copenhagen and Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk, which were to take place on April 29, were canceled.
The government mediator did not help
A statement from SAS said a limited number of flights were affected, adding that the impact on the group’s ongoing restructuring process was not yet clear.
“Our priority at this time is to minimise disruption to our network and support our customers with rebookings and information,” the airline said.
The Norwegian government-appointed wage mediator said he had been unable to bridge the gap between the two sides. According to the union, SAS cabin crew in Norway earn 15 to 30 percent less than their counterparts at other local airlines such as Norwegian.
