Ryanair Calls Action "Unlawful" As Thousands of Pax Stranded

Charleroi Airport near Brussels, Belgium is back in service following a strike by security workers that led to many cancelled flights and thousands of stranded passengers.

Security staff walked off the job Friday to protest plans to privatize security, saying it could raise costs and eliminate jobs. Ryanair, the airport's largest carrier, was forced to cancel all flights and called the workers' action "unlawful."

"The security staff withdrew their service (Friday) without notice and as a result no Ryanair staff or passengers have been allowed to pass from landside to airside at Charleroi airport. The security staff have also prevented all Ryanair passengers from entering the terminal building at Charleroi," the carrier said Friday.

The carrier was forced to cancel its flights after the airport announced that talks, up to that point, had "failed to bring an end to this unlawful strike and accordingly Charleroi airport has advised Ryanair that security at Charleroi cannot be guaranteed over the coming weekend."

The strike had been scheduled to begin mid-afternoon, but instead began at dawn with no warning. A short time later, workers at nearby Liege airport had joined the walkout as well, according to the Associated Press.

Jean-Francois Magotte, spokesman for Belgium's main CSC union, told AFP reporters inward and outbound flights were expected to resume Saturday evening after members voted to suspend the strike.

Union members agreed to suspend the action after the transport minister for Belgium's southern Wallonia region, Andre Antoine, met with union leaders and offered a deal to help allay fears over privatization issues.

"We haven't cancelled the strike, we have suspended it because the minister has suspended the creation" of the private company and said talks would begin Tuesday, Magotte told AFP.

Ryanair has not yet announced when it will resume services and had cancelled flights through Monday, according to RTE News.

Brussels International Airport at Zaventem was not affected and was able to handle all diverted air traffic.

FMI: www.charleroi-airport.com, http://eng.acv-online.be/The_ACV_CSC/structure.asp