Train attendants spontaneously went on strike at the SNCB depot on Friday in protest against a decision by the railway company to pay overtime arrears in two phases, according to union representative Philippe Dubois.
The railway workers are up in arms over a decision by the National Railway Company of Belgium, SNCB, to make the payouts in December 2021 and February 2022, Dubois, who is the regional permanent secretary of CGSP Cheminots, explained to Belga News Agency.
An HR Rail spokesperson confirmed that the SNCB and its personnel department had received a visit from the Social Inspection Service a few months ago in connection with the unpaid overtime, and that the Service had asked them to resolve the issue by late March 2022.
However, many of the employees did not agree with the deadline and, as a result, some went on a spontaneous strike at the Gare du Midi in Brussels on Friday, prompting a few trains to be cancelled.
The missed payments have accumulated for years, according to Peter Vanderborght of the CSC. “The SNCB has made an effort, and the volume of arrears has gone down considerably, but a sizeable portion is still owed,” the trade unionist said.
The Brussels Times
