The Belgian rail company SNCB anticipates that only half of the trains connecting major cities will operate on Wednesday due to a railway strike by trade unions.
The strike action is organised by the main railway unions. CGSP Cheminots, CSC Transcom, and SLFP Cheminots. The strike action will span four days, from 7 November at 22:00 to 9 November at 22:00, and again from 5 to 7 December at the same time.
The unions are protesting the lack of ongoing labour negotiations within organisational restructuring.
SNCB, along with railway companies Infrabel and HR Rail, have condemned the multi-day strike, branding it as disproportionate and reckless.
"The company aims to continue the labour dialogue to maintain customer service and ensure the organisation’s long-term future," SNCB stated, maintaining that all matters are discussed and, where possible, compromises are always sought.
The organisation stressed that an industrial agreement was made with the unions for the years 2023 and 2024 in March this year, in which the rail industry committed to large-scale recruitment, improving wellbeing, and implementing measures to increase purchasing power.
Credit: Belga / Dirk Waem
SNCB asserts that it is implementing this agreement in all its aspects, with over 1,600 new team members recruited in the current year and further significant hiring planned for the next. For the first time in a decade, the quantity of new hires this year exceeds the number of leavers, meaning roughly 250 additional (operational) staff will be in post by the end of 2024.
What services are affected?
As of March 2018, minimal service provision is planned for during strikes, depending on SNCB and Infrabel staff working.
This Wednesday, half of intercity (IC) trains are expected to run. Two out of every five ‘L’ trains and suburban ‘S’ trains are also predicted to operate, whilst nearly all peak-time ‘P’ trains will be cancelled, according to Monday’s estimates by SNCB.
An alternative timetable for Thursday is currently being produced and will be shared on Tuesday. From Friday morning onwards, normal train services are expected to be resumed.
International traffic will be minimally affected by the strike action. Eurostar trains will operate almost normally, stated a spokesperson. Some cancellations are expected on Tuesday, with two trains being cancelled, and on Wednesday and Thursday, with one Paris-Cologne round-trip cancelled each day.
