Bringing forward their original strike notice by two weeks, Belgium's rail unions are now planning a a 24-hour strike on 5 October in light of Saturday's (1 October) budgetary discussions.
On Monday 26 September, unions formed a common front to announce the new, earlier date of their industrial action by which they demand better resources for Belgian railway workers.
Originally planned for 18 October, the rail unions wanted the Federal Government to feel the pressure immediately after concluding their discussions on the federal budget.
As a result, they have now threatened to go on strike from 22:00 on 4 October to 22:00 on 5 October.
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The unions have called for the government to adapt their rail budget and grant them more resources for recruiting staff. Unions say this has not been reviewed since 2008.
They also called attention to the number of train cancellations due to a lack of personnel and said that working conditions have been undermined after years of underfunding.
The sector is calling for the Federal Government to offer them a "concrete answer" to prevent the strike from going ahead.
