NGO staff mobilise ahead of largest-ever demo in protest at government cuts
As Belgium’s trade unions continue their actions against austerity measures introduced in the federal government's Easter Accord, the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) is publishing an open letter signed by hundreds of NGO staff. The move comes ahead of what is expected to be the largest NGO workers’ bloc to date during a demonstration on 22 May.
The protest and letter mark a significant moment of mobilisation for the non-profit sector. The letter features signatures not from organisations but from individual staff members, many of whom are foreign nationals working in Belgian and European NGOs.
Since December 2024, Belgium has seen waves of labour unrest. February brought more than 10,000 people to the streets and March witnessed the largest general strike in a decade.
International community
Tensions have only deepened following the Easter Accord, a political agreement between the federal government coalition parties N-VA, MR, CD&V and Vooruit, which promises more than 1 billion euros in cuts to social services alongside increased military spending.
"We’re showing that NGO workers, regardless of their nationality, are standing together with the rest of Belgian society"
“There’s a common assumption that the the cuts only affect Belgian nationals - but the reality is, their impact cuts across all of society,” EPSU spokesperson Can Kaya told Belga. “Many NGO workers in Belgium come from abroad. We live and work here, pay taxes and rely on the same public services. The cuts don’t check passports - they affect us all.”
Kaya points out that foreign nationals make up a critical part of the country’s non-profit workforce, particularly in sectors such as human rights, international development and environmental justice.
“While many of our roles are internationally focused, we live and work in Belgium, use/contribute to its public services and take part in its communities,” he says.
According to EPSU, cuts to essential services like healthcare and education will have a disproportionate impact on women and youth, mirroring broader trends across the EU.
“These are the same policies that we see at the EU level, all at the expense of the working class and the planet,” Kaya says. “And the workers in our collective work on these issues on a daily basis, seeing the impact of these cuts up close.”
Jobs at risk
The union warns that the coalition reforms resemble “Trump-style defunding of civil society”, placing thousands of NGO jobs at risk and threatening the long-term sustainability of advocacy work in Belgium and beyond.
Kaya called on both Belgians and non-Belgians to stand together: “We’re showing that NGO workers, regardless of their nationality, are standing together with the rest of Belgian society.”
Labour reforms
EPSU and affiliated workers are especially alarmed by labour market reforms embedded in the agreement. They say these changes disproportionately impact workers in social sectors while accelerating the militarisation of public budgets.
Among them are proposals to:
- abolish the general ban on night work, expanding flexibility in working hours across sectors
- increase the cap on voluntary overtime to 360 hours annually, with 450 hours for those working in hospitality
- simplify employer administrative procedures, including those for part-time and payroll
- phase out early retirement schemes, pushing workers to remain in the labour market longer.
(MOH)
EPSU on strike © PHOTO CAN KAYA, EPSU
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