Belgium’s three major unions have organized a national strike over government reforms and spending cuts, affecting public transport, airports, and ships. The protest comes as Prime Minister Bart de Wever’s centre-right government aims to reduce the budget deficit by increasing pension ages and cutting benefits.
The strike has brought flights to a halt and severely disrupted public transport in Brussels, with most buses, trams, and underground trains suspended. Belgium’s second-largest airport at Charleroi was shut down, while departures and arrivals were cancelled at Brussels Airport.
The protests are centered around the government’s plan to increase pension ages and end special schemes for certain sectors, including military and railway workers. The unions claim that these measures will disproportionately affect low-income families and pensioners.
As thousands of protesters took to the streets in Brussels, demonstrators expressed concerns about the impact on their future and the livelihoods of their children. “It’s not fair,” said one protester. “65 is enough. 67 is too late.”
The strike is part of a broader trend of austerity measures across Belgium, with regional authorities also imposing cuts. The ruling coalition in the Walloon region has announced plans to require teachers in higher tiers of secondary schools to work an extra two hours per week.
While the protests were largely peaceful, there were incidents of vandalism and clashes between protesters and police. As tensions rise, Belgians are left wondering about the future of their country under the current government’s austerity measures.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62e3pny6p7o