Bad news for those who depend on public transport: at least 29 strike days before the summer vacation
If the trade unions do not reach an agreement with the De Wever I government on savings and pension schemes, it does not look too good for those who are designated on public transport. Until the start of the summer vacation, at least 29 strike days are planned. In April, May, June and July four a month each.
Until Sunday (March 2), the 9-day action of two smaller trade unions runs at the track: the independent trade union for rail staff (OVS) and the autonomous syndicate of train drivers (ASTB). The actions have already caused great nuisance. And according to the Recent update of the NMBS That will remain that way this weekend. In the south of our country, practically no trains will run. Throughout Belgium, half of the IC trains and two in three S and L trains will not run on Saturday. There will be no trains in 156 stations. In addition, there are a number of tourist destinations by the sea and in the Ardennes. And that while the crocus holiday starts.
Sunday, the last day of the strike, the nuisance will be less. There are two in three IC trains (66 percent) and three in four S and L trains (75 percent). No actions are planned during the crocus holiday.
The next one is only on it March 12. The joint trade union front of De Lijn has submitted a strike notice for that day. « This promotion is a reaction to the recent reduction in the number of services in different regions in Flanders, which has a direct impact on employment, » say the socialist trade union ACOD, the Christian ACV and the Liberal ACLVB in a common communiqué.
Read too. Trade unions De Lijn want to stop on March 12
Then it is again at the NMBS. ACOD Spoor and ACV transcom have announced eighteen strike days for the next five months. The major railway unions are therefore protesting against the pension measures and the savings on the NMBS of the De Wever government.
On Monday March 17 will stop just about all railway employees. According to chairman Günther Blauwens of ACOD Spoor, the trade unions have no other option. “Savings have been saving on the track for 20 years and the punctuality is falling all the time. Even with a minimal service, the train sets are limited. Everyone sees that things are going wrong and yet people don't intervene. «
Spoorbond Metispprotect has meanwhile submitted a new strike notice for the week from 23 to 30 March. The chairman Mohammed Benyaich confirmed us. It is a small union, but that doesn't mean anything. With the 9-day strike that runs until Sunday evening, the nuisance was greater than expected.
Metispprotect had already submitted a 29-day strike notice: from 2 to 30 March. But that notice was declared inadmissible by HR Rail, the personnel service of the railways, because it would not comply with « the provisions in the regulations ».
On March 31 Is there the National Strike Day at Public Services with nuisance in all possible sectors. Also with public transport. At the previous strike, on 13 February, the NMBS did not participate to be able to bring strikers from all over the country to Brussels. But this time the railway staff also put down the work.
And it doesn't stop there. Unless the unions are now sitting at the table with the government and reaching an agreement. Otherwise we will receive one action day per week for sixteen weeks. ACOD Spoor and ACV transcom have eighteen new strike days on Friday (four in April, four in May, four in June and four in July) announced. When exactly, the trade unions do not yet provide any details about that.
