Belgian trade unions are protesting in favour of action to secure greater spending power on Wednesday. Expect disruption if you are using public transport or are taking a flight. Protests and strike action will hit the ports, big companies, some schools and also the Flemish public broadcaster VRT.
The unions want the government to take action in support of spending power. They want the authorities to cap gas and electricity prices and extend the scope of the social energy tariff to people on middle income. The unions also want the government to modify the wage norm law to provide scope for real wage increases.
The unions are protesting against attempts by the employers to introduce an index holiday during which wages and benefits won’t be topped up in line with inflation. Workers in sectors that are booming should be able to look forward to real wage increases they say.
The socialist union has called a general strike. The Christian and liberal unions are organising protest actions but strikes are possible too like at VRT where the socialist and Christian unions have called a strike.
Expect disruption on the railways. Rail company NMBS knows how many workers will turn up for work and is implementing a minimum service based on these numbers. Consult the NMBS route planner online for detailed information. On the railways the strike starts at 10PM on Tuesday. A third of IC services are expected to run. A quarter of other services should operate. Most commuter services are axed. The strike will be felt more in Wallonia than in Flanders. Little rail traffic will occur in Namur, Belgian Luxembourg and parts of Walloon Brabant.
There shouldn’t be any problems on international services, the Thalys, the Eurostar, TGV INOUI and services to Amsterdam. The Nightjet from Vienna will terminate and start in Cologne (Federal Republic of Germany).
Services of the Flemish public transport company De Lijn will be severely disrupted with only 55% of buses and trams operating. Serious disruption is also anticipated at the Brussels local transport company, the MIVB, hitting bus, tram and metro services. MIVB will deploy available workers on main lines first. Check the company’s website and Facebook and Twitter feeds for up-to-the minute information.
At Brussels Airport 55% of flights - some 200 flights - have been cancelled. Passengers have been contacted. The airport is urging passengers only to travel with hand luggage as there will be fewer security staff members.
Airline TUI Fly is diverting flights to Cologne and Maastricht (The Netherlands).
Services of the Flemish public transport company De Lijn will be severely disrupted with only 55% of buses and trams operating. Serious disruption is also anticipated at the Brussels local transport company, the MIVB, hitting bus, tram and metro services. MIVB will deploy available workers on main lines first. Check the company’s website and Facebook and Twitter feeds for up-to-the minute information.
At Brussels Airport 55% of flights - some 200 flights - have been cancelled. Passengers have been contacted. The airport is urging passengers only to travel with hand luggage as there will be fewer security staff members.
Airline TUI Fly is diverting flights to Cologne and Maastricht (The Netherlands).
Services at the Flemish public broadcaster VRT will also be hit. Socialist and Christian unions are going on strike to secure higher spending power, but also in protest against the Flemish government’s Transformation Plan, which envisages mass redundancies that will affect over 70 workers, the non-replacement of employees leaving the company as a result of natural wastage as well as the sale of the production unit that makes the popular ‘Thuis’ soap, a kind of ‘EastEnders’.
The strike is expected to paralyse the Port of Antwerp-Bruges i.e. the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge and close MPET PSA and DP World, the world’s biggest container terminals. Disruption is also anticipated in the Ghent section of the North Sea Port.
Unions intend to place pickets at the gate of big companies in most industrial sectors including metal-processing, chemicals and food.
Expect only limited disruption in Flemish care homes and hospitals. Disruption should only be limited in schools in the independent sector, but greater in Flemish community schools and in municipal schools in Ghent and Antwerp. Day-care and afterschool care may be affected.
Postal services too will be disrupted.
Most stores stay open though there may be symbolic protests at Makro, the C&A distribution Centre and IKEA’s Service Center.