BRUSSELS: The third and final day of a national strike in Belgium on Wednesday grounded most flights at Brussels Airport and disrupted public transport.
The strike, organized by the country’s main unions, is the latest in a series of protests against the coalition government led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Demonstrators oppose the government’s proposed pension and labor market reforms.
Brussels Airport canceled all departing flights as well as 110 of its 203 planned incoming flights.
Belgium’s other main airport Charleroi Airport said on its website that it also expected significant disruption due to staff shortages and would be unable to guarantee scheduled landings and takeoffs.
Local media reported that the final day of the strike was expected to be the most disruptive with schools, public transport, and the private sector affected as well.
A protest is planned in Brussels for Wednesday afternoon. A similar demonstration in October drew about 80,000 participants.
“The budget message from the De Wever government is harsh: work longer and harder for less security regarding pensions, health and purchasing power,” socialist Union ABVV-FGTB said on its website.
Gert Truyens, chair of the ACLVB liberal union, told the Belgian public broadcaster VRT he regretted unions had not been consulted by the national government.
“Agreements are not made in the streets at the picket lines; that happens at the negotiating table, but you need to be given the chance,” Truyens said.
Although the government reached an agreement on next year’s budget on Monday after months of tense negotiations, it did not avert the strike.
The government plans a new tax on banks and tax increases on airplane tickets and natural gas. Together with cuts in spending, this should lower the government deficit by 9.2 billion euros ($10.6 billion) by 2029.
The budget deficit of the euro zone’s sixth-largest economy is set to hit 4.5 percent of gross domestic product this year, with debt of 104.7 percent of GDP, according to the central bank — well above the maximum agreed under EU budget rules.
Belgian national strike disrupts schools, flights and public transport
https://arab.news/24849
Belgian national strike disrupts schools, flights and public transport
- The strike, organized by the country’s main unions, is the latest in a series of protests against the coalition government led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever
Amnesty urges Burkina junta not to reinstate death penalty
- Amnesty’s regional director Marceau Sivieude said the military must “immediately halt” its plans “regardless of the nature of the offenses or crimes committed”
ABIDJAN: Amnesty International on Friday urged Burkina Faso’s military junta to scrap its plan to reinstate the death penalty seven years after its abolition.
The junta’s council of ministers adopted a draft law on Thursday aimed at reinstating the punishment for crimes including high treason, terrorism and espionage.
Amnesty’s regional director Marceau Sivieude said the military must “immediately halt” its plans “regardless of the nature of the offenses or crimes committed.”
“Countries that still retain the death penalty are an isolated minority as the world continues to move away from this cruel punishment,” he told AFP in a statement.
He added that the proposal if approved would “set Burkina Faso against the goal of abolition” enshrined in international law.
The last recorded execution was in 1988, according to Amnesty.
The proposed text, which requires the approval of the transitional legislative assembly created by the junta, would also punish “the promotion and practice of homosexuality and related acts.”
