Three-day strike against federal government policy next week
Belgian trade unions are stepping up their action against federal government policy next week with three days of strikes. On Monday 24 November, the unions are calling for a three-day railway strike. This will be followed by a strike in all public services the next day and a national strike in all sectors on Wednesday 26 November.
The ABVV, ACV and ACLVB trade unions are calling the three-day strike “a powerful appeal” to the federal government “to stop the social dismantling” and to adjust its policy. The impact is expected to be significant. There will be three days of strikes on the railways and the unions also called for three days of strikes at the public transport companies De Lijn, STIB/MIVB and TEC. Alternative services will be arranged.
No passenger flights will be able to depart from Brussels Airport on Wednesday 26 November due to the strike. This is the seventh time this year that national trade union action disrupts air traffic at the airport. Charleroi Airport also expects major disruptions due to a lack of staff.
The extent of the disruption to education is still unclear. The education unions have announced that they will participate in at least one of the three strike days. The socialist union even plans to down tools on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Most schools will provide emergency care if necessary.
Rubbish collection could also be affected by the strike next week. Net Brussels is for example asking Brussels residents to only put out white bags (residual waste) and orange bags (food waste). The collection of green, blue and yellow bags is postponed.
In prisons, the unions are calling for a strike on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 November. The willingness to strike is reportedly high, so it looks like the police will have to be called in to ensure minimum staffing levels in some prisons. Concerning the police itself, the socialist trade union has submitted a three-day strike notice there, but it is not yet clear whether disruption is expected and how significant it would be.
The trade unions at bpost have agreed to limit the disruption during next week's national strike. They are not actively calling for participation. The strike comes at a very inconvenient time for the postal company, as Black Friday and Sinterklaas cause peak in parcel deliveries.
In Flanders, supermarkets are expected to be open as normal, although there may be some disruption here and there due to reduced staffing levels. In Wallonia and Brussels, there is a greater chance that shops will be closed.
Illustration © PHOTO NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
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