الرئيسية
Pilots at Lebanese national carrier Middle East Airlines
(MEA) have ended a five-day strike in protest at the dismissal of a
cancer-stricken colleague which grounded dozens of flights at Beirut
airport. Captain Fadi Khalil, head of the pilots' union, announced the
strike had ended at midnight on Saturday.(AFP/File/Joseph Eid)
By AFP
BEIRUT (AFP) - Pilots at Lebanese national carrier Middle
East Airlines (MEA) have ended a five-day strike in protest at the
dismissal of a cancer-stricken colleague which grounded dozens of
flights at Beirut airport.
Captain Fadi Khalil, head of the
pilots' union, announced the strike had ended at midnight on Saturday.
Normal scheduling resumed on Sunday.
"Out of concern for our
company and Lebanon's tourism sector, and out of respect for our
passengers, we announce the suspension of our strike," Khalil said at a
news conference, adding that the strike was "in principle over."
He
said the decision came after the MEA administration agreed to pay
striking pilots full salaries for the month and revoked its threat to
dismiss them.
The pilots had been due to end their initially
48-hour strike on Wednesday evening but prolonged the action after the
company withdrew five days worth of wages and sent a warning letter to
each striking pilot threatening dismissal.
The strike was
announced on Monday after an MEA captain who had served the airline for
38 years was laid off as soon as he went on sick leave to undergo
treatment for cancer.
The company has since come to a fair
agreement with the captain, Khalil said. The losses incurred by MEA have
yet to be determined.
