A Different Approach, a Christmas Staking (pronounced stocking) – Belgian style

By Jim Ruiz, OSIII, Southeast Library

In protest of austerity measures proposed by a new center-right government, Belgian trade unions are staging a National Strike Day scheduled for Dec. 15th. Today, Monday, was the third provincial strike leading up to the National strike and included the capital Brussels.

What will make the strike so effective is that unions in Belgium are divided not along industrial lines but political ones. Therefore a dockworker could belong to a Socialist union, a Christian union or a Liberal union. At any picket line or roadblock you will see jackets that are red, green or blue standing together representing each of these three unions.

Workers are most upset about the proposed gradual increase in the retirement age to 67 and the disproportionate share of the cuts being asked of the workers, while employers and the rich are not being asked to make sacrifices.

For more information in English, follow the link below.

http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/News/1.2173274