Public sector workers in the public transport and education sectors are among workers taking strike action on Monday in protest against the pensions plans of the five parties negotiating a new Belgian government. It’s expected public transport will be severely disrupted next Monday. Rail unions and in Brussels MIVB staff are taking strike action. Schools too will be hit.
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Unions protest planned pension reforms: strike to hit public transport and Flemish education on Monday
Colin Clapson
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The strike on the railways will start already on Sunday evening, 12 January, at 10 pm and end on Monday, 13 January, 10 pm. Belgium’s state-owned rail company will provide details of an alternative timetable next weekend.
Public transport in Brussels will also be affected. A lot of staff at Brussels local transport company MIVB will join the action against what the unions call ‘European austerity measures and the proposals on the negotiating table in the government formation talks.’
Schools too hit
Christian education union COC says the strike will be noticeable in education on Monday. A lot of teachers will join the demonstration planned in Brussels. ‘Everyone concerned about their pensions will head for Brussels, so obviously that also includes education workers,’ says Koen Van Kerkhoven of the Christian education union.
‘Formateur Bart De Wever’s super memorandum contains too many elements about which we are worried. This could have a major impact on our profession and just make it less attractive. With a wage and pension system that is not in line with the market, quality will only decline further.’
Why are the teachers taking action?
Teachers' pensions are calculated on the basis of reference pay and a pensions' fraction. The reference salary is now calculated based on the last 10 years of work. That rises to 40 years in the super memorandum.
The unions are also concerned that civil service pensions will no longer follow the increase in salaries of working civil servants. According to socialist union ACOD, this amounts to a loss of between 200 and 400 euros for future pensioners.