All three of the country’s major union umbrella organizations are behind the strike, with demands for wage increases and frozen energy prices, among other things.
Although Belgian wages are automatically counted up, trade unions believe that more is needed to preserve purchasing power and avoid more people ending up in poverty.
Flight and port disruptions
Already in advance, more than half of all flights to Brussels have been canceled and major disruptions are also expected in train traffic. The ports of Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp are also covered.
The port will be affected more than in previous strikes. The unions have urged the employees to do everything to stay away. And without workers, the terminals do not work, says Stephan Vanfraechem from the employer organization Alfaport Voka, according to the newspaper Le Vif.