A nationwide strike in Belgium brought most flights at Brussels Airport to a standstill on Wednesday and caused major delays across public transport, marking the most disruptive day of a three-day walkout led by the country’s main unions.
The action is part of a broader pushback against proposed pension changes and labour market measures introduced by the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Union leaders argue the plans would erode security for workers and raise pressure on households already coping with rising costs.
Brussels Airport said the majority of its operations were halted as ground crews and other staff joined the strike. Charleroi Airport reported similar problems on its website, warning that staff shortages meant it could not ensure scheduled arrivals or departures.
Local broadcasters reported that schools, buses, trams and several private sector workplaces were also hit, with Wednesday expected to be the most difficult day for commuters.
A large demonstration in central Brussels was scheduled for the afternoon. A similar gathering in October drew roughly eighty thousand people, according to police figures cited in Belgian media.
The ABVV-FGTB socialist union criticised the government’s budget strategy on its website, saying it forced people to “work longer and harder for less security regarding pensions, health and purchasing power”.
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Gert Truyens, who chairs the ACLVB liberal union, told the public broadcaster VRT that the groups leading the strike had been excluded from key discussions on reforms. “Agreements are not made in the streets at the picket lines; that happens at the negotiating table, but you need to be given the chance,” he said.
The government announced on Monday that it had settled next year’s budget after months of tense internal negotiations. The package includes a new levy on banks, higher taxes on plane tickets and natural gas, and cuts intended to narrow the deficit by about nine point two billion euros by 2029.
Belgium, the sixth-largest economy in the euro zone, is expected to reach a deficit of four point five percent of GDP this year, with national debt standing at roughly one hundred and four point seven percent of GDP, according to figures from the central bank reported by Reuters. Both levels exceed the limits set in European Union budget rules.
The scale of Wednesday’s strike suggests further labour unrest may follow if talks between unions and the government fail to restart.