Socialist union plans 'protest marathon' against government deal
Belgium's socialist trade union has announced a general strike against the plans of the country's new federal government. The strike will be "the start of a marathon of protest", the union said.
The General Labour Federation of Belgium (FGTB), which has around 1.5 million members, called the new government's agreement a "declaration of war" against the entire working world.
Despite the preservation of automatic wage indexation and the introduction of a capital gains tax, the agreement remains "indigestible", the union said. "The sunken part of the iceberg, which will be partially revealed by the budget tables, is likely to hurt a lot."
Marathon of protests
The union has not yet announced a date for the general strike, but said it would be the start of a marathon of protests that would last throughout the new government's term.
The union said it opposed the government's failure to give social partners any room for negotiation, including on issues such as working hours, flexibility and end-of-career arrangements.
The new government's plans also represent a break with the union's values beyond the socio-economic sphere, it said. "We are facing a government that is anti-migrant, anti-woman, anti-poor, anti-functional, anti-ecological... anti-social," the union said.
Demonstration on 13 February
A trade union demonstration had already been planned for 13 February. The protest was initially to focus on public services, but the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions announced on Tuesday that the scope would be widened.
Much of the new government's exact plans remain unclear to the Christian union, but what is clear is that the impact will be very big, they said. "We feel there is a lot of anger," said union spokesman David Vanbellinghen.
'Companies should not be victims'
The Flemish employers' organisation Voka expressed its disapproval of the strike plans on Tuesday. "Bringing the economy to a standstill at a time when our companies are struggling is reprehensible and unacceptable," said Voka delegate director Hans Maertens.
Voka called on the other unions not to follow the strike call. "Unions have the right to protest, of course, but our companies should not be the victims. The FGTB is playing with fire," said Maertens.
Trade unionists protesting against the government negotiations in Brussels on 13 December 2024 © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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