Around 60% of flights have been cancelled at the country’s biggest airport and the public transport companies De Lijn and MIVB report disruption to bus, tram and metro services as workers take part in the National Day of Action. Although they haven’t called on their members to strike today, the socialiast, Christian and liberal trade unions will provide strike pay to those of their members that don’t go to work in order to take part in the demonstration.
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Cancelled flights and fewer bus, tram and metro services due to National Day of Action
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The unions have organised today’s day of action in protest at what they see as an erosion of working people’s purchasing power due to high inflation and soaring energy costs.
Rail passengers will notice little if anything in the way of disruption or cancellations. The state-owned rail company NMBS says that no trains have been cancelled.
It could be busy on services into Brussels though as protesters take the train to go to the demonstration. 8 extra services are being provided, mainly from stations in Wallonia to Brussels.
De Lijn
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn says that there is widespread disruption to its services not least because some of its staff will be taking part in the demonstration.
De Lijn is operating a revised timetable throughout Flanders. Passengers are advised to use De Lijn’s route planner to check which services are running.
Disruption is worst in urban areas. 52% of De Lijn’s services are running today in Antwerp Province. In other provinces this varies between 60% and 63%. Meanwhile, just 55% of De Lijn’s coastal tram services are running.
MIVB
There is also big disruption to services operated by the Brussels public transport company MIVB. A reduced service is running on the Brussels metro. Numerous bus and tram services are also not running today.
Once the demonstration gets underway bus and tram routes that cross its path with be either shortened of diverted. On the metro only line 1 is running.
However, it has been extended to also cover the western section of line 5 between West Station in Molenbeek and the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht. For the latest information visit MIVB’s website .
The airports
There is also major disruption for air passengers. At Brussels Airport in Zaventem (Flemish Brabant) just 160 of the planned 400 flights are operating. The airline will inform their passengers if their flights have been cancelled. The airport expects that many of baggage handlers and staff that carry out security checks will attend the demonstration.
Passengers are advised to keep luggage to a minimum. Passengers that do still have a flight today won’t have to turn up any earlier than normal. However, they should take into account the possibility of disruption to public transport services to and from the airport.
Meanwhile, Charleroi Airport (also known as “Brussels South”) passengers are warned of possible disruption and are advised to go to the airport at least 3 hours before departure.