Slightly fewer strike days, much greater nuisance: you can expect this now that rail unions are going to work together
© ImageLobe
« Thinked, coordinated and structured. » This is how the five rail associations mention the action plan they have drawn up together. The result: a little less strike days, but with much greater nuisance.
Attention train travelers, write these dates in your agenda. On the National Strike Day of March 31 and on Tuesdays 8, 15, 22 and 29 April there will be virtually no trains. In recent months, a tidal wave of fragmented strike actions has been announced that would last until August. But now five of the six trade unions behind them have united as one front.
Those four Tuesdays had already been announced by the classic trade unions ACV and ACOD. Two other trade unions, OVS and ASTB, planned six strike days in April. But they cancel it. In exchange, they call on their members to stop on the aforementioned Tuesdays. VSOA Spoor also joins the front.
« To guarantee better involvement in the discussions and to prevent our members, sympathizers and travelers being excitedly affected by spread strikes that would weaken our planned actions in the long term, » says Astb and OVS.
Because the unions reunite, even the minimum service is not guaranteed the coming strike period. – © Belga
The planned actions in the longer term will not enter the trash for the time being. « If politics remains deaf, the actions will be tightened from May, » says OVS. The plans included « two weeks a month from May » and « Every Friday and Saturday in July and August ».
Read too. Minister Crucke takes a lot of things to small railway unions: « My patience has limits »
In the longer term, there is no guarantee on fewer strike days. In the short term there is a guarantee on more nuisance. Because all those unions are uniting now, the number of work -wedding will be lower. As a result, even the minimum service is not guaranteed, because that timetable is drawn up on the basis of the number of people who sign up.
Striking: the sixth trade union Metispprotect, which is disrupting train traffic this week, is not participating. She was not even invited to the table. « Because it is constantly spreading lies about us, » the other unions can be heard. It is not clear which strike plans that union still has. (KBA)
