The Council of State rejected the union's appeal to accept the three-day rail strike notice this month in a ruling handed down on Wednesday.
The railway union ACOD Spoor-CGSP Cheminots appeared before the Council of State on Tuesday. Earlier, unions filed an emergency appeal against the railway company's refusal to accept a three-day strike notice.
Railway workers' unions filed a three-day strike notice on 26 January as part of the inter-professional actions planned for 5 February, 10 February, and 12 February, depending on the province.
However, this notice was rejected by HR Rail, the human resources department of the SNCB and Infrabel railway companies, which deemed this new action "disproportionate and irresponsible."
The court dismissed the case, arguing that the unfulfilled urgency criteria. It stated that the unions had not provided concrete evidence proving that they would be prevented from exercising their right to strike.
"This is deliberate technocratic blindness," unions stated. "Waiting for the axe to fall on each worker before recognising the urgency of action is to ignore the pressure and legal uncertainty that railway workers are already under."
"It is now the bosses who are being given a licence to obstruct!" CGSP concluded, warning that it will not remain silent.
