Belgium is up: large-scale strike disrupts transport, schools and hospitals
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Today, 25 March, Belgium is facing one of the biggest strikes in recent years. The country's two largest trade unions have announced a general mobilisation against the government's announced austerity measures, including pension reform and changes to the labour market. The protests are due to, as the unions claim, "the undermining of labour rights and financial stability of workers".
Transport is under attack. The national network is virtually paralysed: there are no departures at Brussels-Zaventem and Charleroi airports, and trains are running only half the normal schedule. International routes are also affected, with the Luxembourg-based CFL warning of delays and disruptions on lines to Gouvy and Arlon.
Education and health care are also caught up in the protest. Many schools are closed, retail outlets and businesses have not opened. Hospitals are only operating in emergency mode, emphasising the scale of what is happening.
Discontent is particularly strong in Flanders, where resistance to the reforms has been most active. There, unions report "explosive mobilisation", while in Wallonia the protest is more moderate.
The government has not yet given a clear signal about revising the reforms. And unions warn that if there is no dialogue, strikes will continue. Against this backdrop, businesses, travellers and parents of schoolchildren across the country are facing major disruptions to their daily lives.
