Belgium will grind to a halt once again on Tuesday 29 April, as workers in both the private and public sectors will protest against the new Federal Government's budget cuts. What disruptions are expected?
Like in March, the Christian union CVC/ACV and socialist union FGTB/ABVV are again joining forces for a national day of action against the measures of the new 'Arizona' Federal Government, which they have been campaigning against for months.
"These measures undermine the rights of workers and undermine the foundations of social solidarity in Belgium," the unions said. They denounce the fact that people will have to work longer for lower pensions, that the civil servants' statute is being eroded, and cuts are being made to the cap for the unemployed and the long-term sick.
"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," they said.
A strike action in the Rue Neuve shopping street in Brussels, on Monday 31 March 2025. Credit: Belga/James Arthuer Gekiere
During the last general strike on Monday 31 March, Brussels saw major disruptions, in which no flights departed from the capital's airports in Zaventem and Charleroi and the entire country ground to a halt.
This time, the emphasis will be on regional actions, specifically in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Tournai, Eupen and Verviers, La Louvière, Liège and Namur.
In the Belgian capital, a march will start at 10:00 at Brussels-North railway station and make its way to Mont des Arts. There, the demonstration will conclude with testimonies from workers from various sectors.
Different from the strike in March, no major actions are planned in most public services. This means that rubbish should be collected and municipal services should operate as usual. Additionally, the education sector will not participate in this month's strike.
Disrupted flights
Arriving and departing flights at Brussels Airport in Zaventem are expected to be disrupted all day on Tuesday, with "at least" 30% of flights being cancelled.
As some of the airport's handlers and security staff will participate in the strike, the airport is "forced 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."
As a result, 30% of departing flights will be cancelled. For arriving flights, no immediate disruptions are expected. However, the airport warned that delays and cancellations remain possible. Additionally, the number of cancelled flights could increase in the coming days. Passengers whose flights are affected will not be notified by Brussels Airport, but directly by the airlines.
People flying on Tuesday should also take into account possible public transport disruptions when going to and from the airport. Brussels Airport is warning passengers to be at the airport on time: two hours before departure for a flight within the Schengen zone, and three hours for a long-haul flight.
The info board shows cancelled flights, due to a strike action at Brussels Airport, Thursday 13 February 2025 in Zaventem. Credit: Belga/Jasper Jacobs
The website of the European air traffic controller Eurocontrol states that airlines operating at Brussels Airport have been asked to cancel "30% to 50% of their passenger flights" for the time being. But these percentages may still change. As soon as the precise impact of the day of action is known, the airport will inform passengers.
At Charleroi Airport (BSCA), all departing flights on Tuesday have been cancelled as well because there will not be enough staff "to run operations in complete safety," the airport announced on Friday evening. Previously, the airport had communicated to The Brussels Times that the impact of the strike was expected to be minor.
As it stands now, there should be little to no disruptions to arriving flights. However, it could be that due to cancellations of departures, arrivals will also be cancelled. The day of action falls in the spring break for French-speaking schools, which begins Friday evening.
Public transport
Across the country, public transport will be disrupted significantly.
In Brussels, the public transport operator STIB/MIVB is expecting "serious disruption" of its metro, tram and bus network. "The exact extent of the disruptions cannot be predicted at this time."
Passengers should find alternative travel solutions in Brussels on that day. "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."
In terms of trains, national railway operator SNCB/NMBS is also expecting disruptions on its network. While railway traffic was initially expected to be disrupted the entire week because of a week-long train strike, the strike notice has now been refused. As a result, railway traffic will only be disrupted from 22:00 on Monday until 22:00 on Tuesday.
"Our staff have until Friday evening to indicate whether they will strike. Based on that, an alternative service will be worked out," a spokesperson told The Brussels Times. "As this is a general strike, there is a chance that more people will participate, which means that the impact on travellers will probably be greater."
Meanwhile, Flemish public transport operator De Lijn and Walloon public transport operator TEC are also warning their customers of 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."
The latest updates on strike-related disruptions can be found here.
