Transport chaos looms in Belgium as April 29 strike targets budget cuts

Belgium will once again come to a complete shutdown on Tuesday, April 29, as private and public sector workers protest against the new Federal government budget cuts.

The country’s airport officials announced on April 25 that at least 30 per cent of departing flights will be cancelled as part of what is being called the National Day of Action, in which some of the airport’s handlers and security staff have planned to participate, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“This forces us to take measures to carry out our airport operations in the best possible way and continue to guarantee the safety of our passengers and staff,” said Brussels Airport officials. No immediate disruptions are expected on arriving flights; however, some flights may be delayed, and cancellations cannot be ruled out entirely.

All departing flights from Charleroi Airport have been cancelled due to a lack of staff to operate safely. The Charleroi Airport officials said they also do not expect disruptions to arriving flights, although they too did not rule out cancellations.

“We regret the impact of these actions on our passengers’ travel plans and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the airport officials added.

Tuesday’s strike is a follow-up to last March’s strike. The Christian union CVC/ACV and the socialist FFTB/ABVV union are expected to join the strike and protests against the measures of the so-called “Arizona” federal government, against which they have been campaigning for months.

Workers claim that the new measures undermine workers’ rights, and in a joint statement, they added that they also contradict the foundations of social solidarity in the country.

At the core of the new measures are provisions that imply workers will have to work longer for lower pensions, erosion of the civil servants’ statute, and cuts to the cap for unemployment and long-term illness benefits.

“In the face of a government that protects the interests of large companies and the richest at the expense of workers, pensioners, young people, women, and the most vulnerable, we are calling for massive resistance across the country,” the unions added.

Disruptions can be expected on this occasion in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Tournai, Eupen, Verviers, La Louvière, Liège, and Namur.

Unions will march from 10 am on April 29 from Brussels-North railway station and end at  Mont des Arts, where demonstrators will address the crowds. 

The union leaders’ joint statement ensures that disruptions will not affect rubbish collection or the education sector; however, public transport will be disrupted at a national level, according to the local news outlet.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure at least part of the service, and will inform passengers in real time about the situation on the network,” the unionists said, adding that people needing transportation should plan alternative solutions.

The national railway operator SNCB/NMBS is also expecting disruptions to its service on the 29th. While railway traffic was initially expected to be disrupted for the entire week due to a week-long train strike, those plans have now changed. That means railway traffic will only be disrupted from 10:00 p.m. on Monday, April 28 until 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29.

Meanwhile, Flemish public transport operator De Lijn and Walloon public transport operator TEC have also issued warnings about potential service disruptions. “There will be fewer buses and trams. We are working on an alternative service, but details about this will have to wait until Sunday evening,” they explained.

By Tamilla Hasanova