A meeting between management and the unions at the Belgian rail company NMBS has failed to reach an agreement that would have averted two 48-hour rail strikes planned for November and December.
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48-hour rail strikes in November and December
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NMBS staff will be on strike from 10 pm on Tuesday, 7 November until 10 pm on Thursday 9 November. A second strike will follow 4 weeks later from the evening of Tuesday 5 December until 10 p.m. on Thursday 7 December. The news that the strikes will go ahead was confirmed by the unions on Friday morning after a meeting with rail company management broke down without a resolution having been reached.
Rail workers are unhappy about a reoraginisation and productivity measures that NMBS management wishes to implement.
Günther Blauwens of the socialist trade union ACOD Spoor told VRT News that "They want to reduce the number of people employed in the stations by almost 250. This will reduce the service for the travelling public and for people with reduced mobility still further. I have been with the railways for 30 years and this is simply unprecedented."
Mr Blauwens added that rail staff first want a period of stability so that can become familiar with the new procedures that have been introduced. NMBS staff also say that their concerns about delays and trains being shortened are not being heard.