Belgium’s rail network faces disruption as a three-day strike by railway workers is followed by a national demonstration in Brussels. Unions oppose pension reforms and austerity measures, urging workers across sectors to mobilise against the government’s plans
Belgium will require at least one-third female representation on executive teams at state-owned firms. The move extends existing boardroom quotas, aims to dismantle structural barriers, and reflects a political compromise after resistance to stricter rules and broader private-sector coverage
Fifteen years after the Buizingen tragedy, Belgium has completed ETCS installation across its main rail network, strengthening train speed control, preventing human error, and setting a deadline for ETCS-only train operations nationwide as a cornerstone of long-term transport safety reformy
Despite several rounds of reconciliation meetings, the unions—ACOD Spoor/CGSP Cheminots, ACV/CSC-Transcom, VSOA-Spoor/SLFP-Cheminots, OVS/SIC, and ASTB/SACT—have confirmed their decision to maintain the strike
The appeal comes amid a week-long strike by the independent union METISP-Protect, which concluded Sunday, only for the country’s two largest rail unions, ACOD Spoor and ACV-Transcom, to join the ongoing general strike, further disrupting train services
