Violence with impunity no longer seems to provoke outrage, says the Christian transport union in a statement on Monday, referring to an incident last week where a driver ran over two union delegates in an industrial zone near Liege.
"This was not an accident, but a deliberate act!" stated the union, expressing concern over some reactions to the incident, particularly online.
"I cannot help but link this deliberate act to other similar incidents where an individual has driven into a crowd, whether at dramatic events in Strépy, at a market or other public activities, in Belgium or abroad. These acts were unanimously condemned," said Lorenzo Marredda, Vice-President of CSC-Transcom. "This is not the case this time. Quite the opposite, given the disgusting comments found under news articles."
According to CSC, "based on various testimonies, there is no doubt that the driver in Verviers, after stopping, forced his way through by driving into the picket line occupied by protesters, using his vehicle as a weapon."
The union stressed that "a strike should not be perceived as a battlefield. It is a means to, on one hand, compel politicians or employers to return to negotiations when they refuse, and on the other hand, to alert the entire population that their rights are under threat."
The two CSC delegates were struck in Thimister-Clermont while participating in the strike. The incident took place near one of the barricades set up by union members in the industrial zone.
Further actions are planned in April across various sectors, with a national strike scheduled for 29 April.
Unions are protesting against longer careers, reduced pensions, financial penalties in cases of illness or unemployment, increased demands for workplace flexibility, and the erosion of civil servants’ status.
