Energy multinational companies must help lower fuel and heating oil prices in Belgium, the Walloon branch of the FGTB union demanded on Saturday in a statement.
The union criticised the federal government’s response, calling it inadequate and insufficient to address the growing crisis.
On Friday, the government announced that all additional tax revenue generated from higher energy prices would fund support measures for vulnerable households. These measures target people heating their homes with gas or heating oil and those burdened by rising commuting costs.
According to the FGTB, many workers continue to struggle despite earning €2,000 to €4,000 gross per month. The union stated, “These workers are not rich; they are trying to make ends meet. Every day, they sink deeper into the crisis while our leaders look the other way.”
The FGTB emphasised that a quick solution is possible: energy multinational companies like TotalEnergies and Engie-Electrabel should contribute, as they “profit at the expense of workers.” Without their contribution, “it is workers and citizens who will pay the price,” warned Jean-François Tamellini, general secretary of the FGTB Walloon.
The union underscored the profits made by TotalEnergies, citing its recent billion-dollar gain from purchasing 34 million barrels of oil before the Iran conflict.
The FGTB called on political leaders to show courage and end their “inaction.”
