Trade unionists are staging a National Day of Action as a result of which there is significant disruption to the bus, tram and metro services provided by the Flemish public transport company De Lijn, the Brussels public transport company MIVB and the Walloon public transport company TEC. However, the Belgian rail company NMBS expects little if any disruption to rail services. Meanwhile, all the supermarket chain Delhaize’s stores with the exception of one supermarket, near Liège are open today.
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Big disruption to bus, tram and metro services due to National Day of Action
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It was Delhaize’s decision to franchise out the stores that it currently runs in house and the measures the company has taken since to ensure that its strike-bound stores could reopen that led to today’s day of action.
With thousands of trade unionists expected to take part in Monday’s demonstration through the centre of Brussels, police warn of disruption to traffic in and around the city centre. “We advise you to avoid several areas of the city and to use public transport or to cycle”, Brussels police said in a statement.
However, using public transport is easier said than done as many public transport workers are taking part in the demonstration. The Brussels public transport company MIVB is running a revised “minimum service” timetable. Just one metro line is running and many bus and tram services have been cancelled. Click here for the latest information on public transport in the capital.
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn estimates that 55% of its services are running. Passengers are advised to check that their bus or tram is running before leaving. They can do so either via De Lijn’s website
As the unions will be relying on the railways to transport protesters to Brussels for the demonstration, the Belgian rail company NMBS expects little or no disruption to its services.
Many Delhaize supermarkets will have fewer staff than normal as many Delhaize shopworkers are taking part in the demonstration. Nevertheless, just one supermarket is closed, the store at Embourg, in Chaudfontaine (Liège Province). The is also less staff at the company’s distribution centres. However, there are no blockades or picket lines.
Elsewhere, some crèches are closed and there is disruption to refuse collection in some cities such as Antwerp.
Why is the day of action taking place?
In early March bosses at the supermarket chain Delhaize announced that all the supermarkets Delhaize currently runs in-house will be franchised out.
The unions see this as a thinly-disguised form of social dumping and they want to prevent the practice spreading to other sectors of the economy.
Furthermore, the unions are unhappy that Delhaize has used bailiffs and the police to bring to an end pickets, blockades and store closures. They say that this is an attack on the right to strike