Several public sectors are joining Belgium's three-day strike from this Tuesday.
The three consecutive days of action, which started on Monday, were called by the Belgian trade unions to denounce socio-economic reforms by the Federal Government.
The first strike day was marked by significant disruptions to public transport, which are set to continue today. Other public services will also participate in the strike from today.
While there are no demonstrations planned for today in Brussels, picket lines may cause local disruptions across the country.
This article will be updated as new information is announced.
Rail disruptions continue
The railway services across the country, operated by SNCB, will continue to be disrupted today.
Around half of the trains between major Belgian cities (IC trains) are expected to run today, while only a third of local and suburban trains (L and S trains) will be operational. There will be fewer peak-hour trains (P trains) running during the morning and evening rush hours.
Passengers can consult the latest updates on the train schedules on the SNCB website or app.
Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
Regarding international trains, all scheduled OUIGO trains between Brussels and Paris will run as scheduled, as several trains had already been previously cancelled due to work on the tracks.
Similarly, all TGV INOUI trains departing from and arriving at Brussels-Midi are running as planned apart from train 9886/7 (Nantes 5:59 - Brussels-Midi 11:01) and train 9832 (Brussels-Midi 15:03 - Nantes 19:50).
Several Eurocity trains between Brussels and Amsterdam have been cancelled or diverted during the three-day strike.
Credit: Belga/Jasper Jacobs
Additionally, the high-speed Eurostar train service will continue to be disrupted. The company announced that throughout the strike days, it will only run half of its trains between Brussels and Paris and three-quarters of the trains between Brussels and Amsterdam and Amsterdam and London.
Around 20% of Eurostar trains between Brussels, Liège and Germany are expected to run.
Fewer metros, buses, & trams
The transport services on the Brussels metro, bus, and tram network will continue to face significant disruptions on Tuesday, according to Brussels' transport operator, STIB.
Shortly after 5.30 p.m., STIB confirmed that metro 1 and 5, and tram 8, 82 (between Gare de Berchem and Wiels) and 4 (between Brussels-North station and Brussels-Midi station) were running.
The transport operator added that due to picket lines, it cannot currently operate bus lines and it can only operate a reduced number of trams.
Credit: Belga/Emile Windal
Passengers seeking additional information can consult the STIB Customer Care service from 6 a.m. on each strike day. The service is available via STIB's social media platforms, and the telephone number is +32 (0)2 563 89 17.
The strike will also impact transport operated by De Lijn and TEC. Passengers can consult adjusted timetables for De Lijn via its website or app. Similarly, the latest updates on available TEC transport services are available online or on the TEC app.
Ferries disrupted in Flanders
Ferry services will continue to be disrupted on Tuesday. The Sint-Anna ferry will operate with one vessel between midnight and 7 a.m. today. After 7 a.m., the ferry will no longer sail for the rest of the day.
Similarly, both the Bazel-Hemiksem and the Kruibeke-Hoboken ferries will not sail on Tuesday.
The shipping traffic via the Westpost and to and from Zeebrugge is set to continue to be disrupted as the traffic control staff in Zeebrugge participates in the strike until Wednesday morning.
Delays in shipping to Antwerp and Ghent are also expected until Wednesday morning, according to the Maritime Services and Coastal Agency.
Limited impact on hospitals & postal services
The impact on the postal services by Belgium's Bpost is likely to remain limited on Tuesday. On Monday, only ten of the 656 post offices closed, mainly in Tournai and Andenne. Customers can consult the Bpost app to track their parcels.
Similarly, hospitals in Brussels are likely to experience limited disruptions.
Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
A spokesperson for Saint-Pierre Hospital confirmed that scheduled appointments, critical care and services for hospitalised patients will continue as normal.
However, some disruptions may be faced when making an appointment at CHU Saint-Pierre over the phone, although these can still be made online.
Meanwhile, the services of the UZ Brussel hospital will not be impacted, according to a spokesperson.
Municipal services & bin bag collection
Administrative services across the Brussels municipalities will face further disruptions today. Brussels residents are advised to consult their local municipality's website for further details.
Additionally, some municipalities have warned that residents may experience longer waiting times for services that are still offered on the strike days.
Credit: Belga / Jonas Hamers
Similarly, the bin bag collections are set to be disrupted today, according to the waste management agency, Bruxelles Propreté.
The white and orange bin bags will be collected during the strike days. Residents are advised to put those bin bags outside according to the regional waste management calendar.
Any white or orange bag that is not collected will be picked up during a catch-up round planned for 27 November.
Importantly, the collection of blue, yellow and green bin bags will be postponed until the week of 1 December.
Prison staff & education join in
Law enforcement staff are on strike, as planned by the strike notice filed last week by the union CGSP. This is also set to include prison staff today, according to the Belga News Agency.
The strike notice for members of the Belgian education sector will also take effect today. They are expected to continue striking on Wednesday.
On Monday, the Brussels university ULB already joined in on the strike, with students and staff blocking the Solbosch university campus.
A full overview of the disruptions during all days of the three-day strike can be found here.
