2 February, 2012Belgian trade unions organized a general strike on January 30 and called on leaders attending the European Union Summit in Brussels to move away from austerity measures and start boosting growth and employment.
BELGIUM: At the Belgian general strike of January 30, and during the EU summit held in Brussels, the Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique (FGTB), the Centrale Syndicale Chrétien CSC and the Centrale Générale des Syndicats Libéraux de Belgique (CGSLB) were keen to send a message to the attention of European leaders.
Belgium's three main unions called for efforts to revive the European economy. As part of the demonstration at the summit building, union leaders delivered a symbolic "eurobond", pressing for a joint pooling of debt in the euro-zone.
The strike affected the entire country including all provinces and sectors. The strike was widely followed and actions took place in a peaceful atmosphere. The unions hope that a genuine social dialogue with the government will be possible.
For more details see FGTB's pamphlet and CGSLB's pamphlet.