On March 31, 2025, NGO workers in Belgium joined a nationwide strike to protest against the government’s austerity measures, which threaten to cut social spending by €23 billion.
The Federal Government, led by the ‘Arizona’ coalition, argues that these measures are necessary to address the country’s growing budgetary deficit, which they consider the top priority.
However, the opposition movement continues to grow, as workers and unions across Belgium mobilize against the cuts that could drastically affect social welfare, healthcare, and unemployment benefits.
The protests saw the first-ever ‘NGO Picket’ held outside Mundo Madou, a non-profit space in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode.
This symbolic demonstration marked a significant moment in the wider strike as NGOs, which largely employ international workers, voiced their concerns over the government’s proposed changes.
The European Public Service Union (EPSU), which has been instrumental in organizing the protests, introduced the ‘Fair-CSO’ project to strengthen ties between trade unions and non-governmental organizations.
According to EPSU representative Can Kaya, this initiative aims to raise awareness about social issues within the expat community.
“Many NGO workers come from abroad and may not be familiar with the Belgian political system,” Kaya explained. “We want to help them understand how these cuts will impact them.”
While many NGO workers may not fully grasp the intricacies of Belgium’s social laws, the cuts under the Arizona plan will affect everyone, including expats.
“This is a governmental attack against everyone,” said Marie Lemeland, Permanent Secretary at the trade union CNE.
She emphasized that, although many NGO employees are foreigners, the cuts in social spending will have widespread effects across the workforce, including expats who could find themselves in need of social assistance.
One of the key concerns raised during the protests is the government’s plans to redefine what constitutes “actual work.”
The new measures would make it more difficult for non-linear careers, such as part-time or intermittent work, to count toward pensions.
Kalianne Farren, an Irish national working for the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD), voiced her frustrations over the proposed changes.
“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” she said. “Our social welfare system in Belgium is one of the best, but now it’s being threatened, and many of my colleagues, especially those with children and part-time jobs, are at risk.”
In addition to the cuts to social welfare, the Arizona government has proposed a 25% reduction in foreign aid. This move, coupled with cuts to USAID funding, is expected to significantly impact the NGO sector, potentially leading to widespread job losses.
Barbara Caracciolo, Coordinator of International Cooperation and Sustainable Development at SOLIDAR, warned that many workers in the sector will face redundancy in the coming months.
“We are here not just for our own sector but because the government’s cuts will affect everyone,” she explained. Despite the challenges, trade unions remain hopeful that their actions will make a difference.
“If everyone stops working, the country can’t function,” Lemeland said, stressing that the demonstrations during government negotiations had already led to the removal of harsher pension measures from the final agreement. While discussions with Finance and Pensions Minister Jan Jambon have been described as a “first step,” unions remain determined to escalate their actions if necessary.
As the strike continues, the growing alliance between NGOs and trade unions sends a clear message to the government: austerity measures that harm social welfare are not acceptable, and workers from all sectors—whether Belgian or expatriate—will continue to stand united in resistance.
