Tens of thousands of people marched through Brussels on Tuesday (12 May) as Belgium’s three main trade unions protested against federal government reforms under Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Organisers said between 40,000 and 70,000 demonstrators joined the national protest, which focused on pensions, purchasing power and automatic wage indexation.
Trade unions criticised proposed pension reforms, arguing they would leave workers financially worse off. They also opposed changes affecting Belgium’s automatic wage indexation system amid rising living costs and higher energy prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The demonstration forms part of a wider trade union campaign that has continued for more than 18 months against the ruling coalition government.
Key developments:
- Public transport services operated at reduced capacity nationwide
- Charleroi Airport cancelled all scheduled flights for the day
- Protest turnout was lower than the March 12 demonstration, which drew up to 100,000 people
- Rising energy prices remained a central concern for demonstrators
ℹ️ Euronews
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