Bonjour, goeiemorgen and hello everyone!
We are starting today's newsletter with some news that broke yesterday afternoon: planned strikes at Charleroi Airport.
Regular readers of The Brussels Times will know that strikes at Belgium's airports are not, let's say, rare occurrences. In fact, they happen quite frequently. Whether it's security staff, pilots or baggage handlers on strike, there always seems to be another reason for flights to be cancelled.
This time, it's air traffic controllers, and it's not just any old strike. After a collapse of negotiations about a bonus scheme for their night shift, the Skeyes air traffic controllers have announced a series of night strikes at Charleroi Airport from Wednesday evening.
For 24 consecutive nights, the Skeyes employees at the airport will strike during their night shifts, between 22:00 and 08:00. It goes without saying that this will affect numerous flights, particularly in the first few days of the strike. Is your flight affected? More details here.
Also on our website today is a story by reporter Christopher Richards, about Belgium's famous flexi-job scheme being opened up to self-employed people.
Introduced over ten years ago, the flexi-job system was designed to allow people working at least four-fifths of full-time hours to earn extra income under tax-favourable conditions. With a flexi-job, they could earn up to €18,440 per year, and do not have to pay taxes or employee contributions on those earnings.
Originally, they were intended for the seasonal hospitality sector, but the scheme was extended to nearly all sectors this summer. By focusing on employees and retirees, the system left out self-employed people – something that could be changing soon as ministers are looking to create "a level playing field". Christopher tells you what that means here.
Additionally, a story that has been making headlines all summer is seemingly finally coming to its conclusion, that of Bryan Brigou and his five-year-old son Tyméo.
The pair went missing on 27 June after visiting a local fair in the Walloon village of Onhaye. In August, two bodies that matched their descriptions were found in the area where they went missing, but DNA tests only confirmed their identities this morning. Here is what you need to know.
For comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
See you later!redi
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1. Charleroi Airport to be hit by strikes during nights from Wednesday
Air traffic controllers of Skeyes have announced a series of night strikes at Charleroi Airport following a collapse of negotiations about a bonus scheme for their night shift. Read more.
2. Flexi-jobs for self-employed workers could be here soon – how would it work?
The latest proposed reform to flexi-jobs would give self-employed workers tax-favourable employment, for a set number of hours a year. Read more.
3. Bodies found in Onhaye belong to Bryan Brigou and his son Tymeo
The bodies discovered near the Walloon village of Onhaye in August belong to the missing Bryan Brigou and his five-year-old son Tymeo, DNA tests have confirmed. Read more.
4. Belgium was less likely to issue residence permits for work in 2025
While on average across EU countries 32.4% of residence permits are granted for family reunification, in Belgium the figure is 56.2%. Read more.
5. Despite fewer births, Belgium’s population continues to grow
Belgium's population is growing, but the country's birth rates wouldn’t show that: 2025 marked the fourth consecutive year in which more Belgians died than were born. Read more.
6. ‘Incomprehensible’: Dozens of Flemish municipalities request social housing exemption
A total of 44 Flemish municipalities have applied for a full or partial exemption from their social housing obligations. Read more.
7. Major rail disruption in the Netherlands due to sabotage
Sabotage appears to be behind the major disruption that brought train services to a halt across large parts of the Netherlands on Tuesday morning. Read more.
