Trades unionists took to the streets to Brussels on Friday to demand measures to increase purchasing power. The demonstration that got under way at 10am was organised by the socialist trade union ABVV, the Christian trade union ACV and the liberal trade union ACLVB. The organisers says that 20,000 people were at the march. The police say that the number of participants was a more modest 16,500. In any case this is far fewer than the 70,000 that attended the last big trade union demonstration in Brussels in June. The unions are demanding above inflation pay rises and the freezing of energy prices.
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Video: As many as 20,000 trades unionist protest for more purchasing power
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Slogans such as "Freeze prices, not people” and "Tax capital" were chanted by the thousands of demonstrators most of whom were sporting the colours of their respective unions. The demonstration got under way at 10am. The marchers set off from the square in front of Brussels’ North Railway Station and made their way through Brussels City Centre. The police say that there were 16,500 demonstrators at the march. The socialist trade union ABVV say that the marchers numbered more than 20,000.
This is a far cry from the 70,000 people that took part in the trade unions' last big march through Brussels in June.
Mathieu Verjans of the Christian trade union ACV told VRT News that the union’s campaign for purchasing power is a “marathon”. "We know that you can’t run every kilometre as hard. We are doing things in doses, but we’re not going to stop until there are sufficient signs that people in work will be able to pay their bills at the end of the month”.
Wage norm
The unions are demanding pay increases on top of the automatic index-linked wage increases already given. The unions are also calling for energy prices to be frozen. They say that this needs to be done as the EU has not set a price ceiling for gas. At the end of November the Federal Government confirmed that during the next two years wages may not rise about the rate of inflation. The so-called “wage norm” was thus set at 0%.
Companies that are profitable will be allowed to give their employees a one-off “consumption cheque” worth up to 500 euro. Companies that have made very high profits can issue cheques worth up to 750 euro. However, what exactly constitutes “high profits” has yet to be defined.