Dissatisfied with the reforms initiated by the French Community Government, the unified union front for the education sector is planning a week of rotating actions starting Monday that are expected to disrupt the normal functioning of schools.
The protest by teachers will begin on Monday in the provinces of Liège and Luxembourg. In Liège, teachers will demonstrate on the mountain of Bueren, while in Bastogne they will say "Nuts!" to Minister Glatigny's reforms, echoing the famous reply by General Anthony McAuliffe in December 1944.
On Tuesday, the provinces of Namur, Walloon Brabant, and the Brussels-Capital Region will take action. A demonstration is planned in front of the government's headquarters in Brussels, and teachers will occupy the Citadel of Namur.
Thursday will see a "carnival of the sacrificed" in Mons, in the province of Hainaut.
The unions have also decided to publish a gazette for the public, featuring testimonials from teachers about the realities of their profession. This gazette will be distributed on Wednesday 9 April, at schools, markets, and other busy locations in Wallonia and Brussels.
The unified teachers' front opposes cost-saving measures in vocational education and the reform of teachers' status proposed by the new MR-Les Engagés coalition.
The unions had already organised a one-day strike in November, followed by a two-day strike on 27 and 28 January. On 27 January, more than 30,000 teachers and students marched through the streets of Brussels, indicating strong sector mobilisation.
