Belgium’s trade union federations will be participating in a demonstration against EU austerity measures led by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in Brussels on 13 December, labour sources confirmed on Tuesday.
Several union sources told Belga News Agency that the FGTB, CSC, and CGSLB federations would join the demonstration as a common front.
The ETUC has rebuked EU finance ministers, on its website, for seeking to revert to stringent austerity rules. Workers require public investment in education, healthcare, fair wages, and a sustainable future, the confederation stressed.
Reflecting on these concerns, FGTB President Thierry Bodson said the outlook seemed grim, with potential austerity measures leading to reduced investment in public and social services, and slower economic recovery.
Unions are calling for a pan-European solidarity mechanism similar to measures implemented to offset the economic shock from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Union delegates from various European countries are expected in Brussels for the 13 December event, including significant contingents from France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria, Bodson highlighted.
Unions hope the procession will symbolically approach the European institutions in the capital.
Simultaneous actions are also planned in multiple Member States.
Although the procession is not a strike action, disruptions in certain sectors and in Brussels, particularly public transport, should not be ruled out.
