The CGSP has called for a solidarity gathering in Brussels on 13 May following the rejection of a strike notice related to pension reforms.
The union announced the event on its website after HR Rail, the human resources arm of Belgium’s rail companies, refused its strike notice. The CGSP intended to protest against proposed pension reforms.
The solidarity gathering will start at 13:00 in front of the Pension Tower, followed by a second rally at 14:00 outside the Belgian Railways headquarters, coinciding with a scheduled steering committee meeting.
HR Rail argued that the strike notice failed to comply with the "alarm bell procedure," a requirement during such actions.
The CGSP has criticised HR Rail’s decision, describing it as an obstacle to workers’ constitutional right to strike.
Railway unions organize the 'All together against Arizona' protest, organized as part of the 24-hour strike of the rail unions, Tuesday 15 April 2025, in Brussels Midi station. Credit: Belga
The union expressed concern that procedural issues are being used as a pretext to hinder legitimate industrial action, calling this a political act and an interference in fundamental rights.
"HR Rail will not decide whether our actions are legitimate. Let us turn their prohibition into a source of motivation," the union stated on its website and social media platforms.
HR Rail clarified that the rejection was due to a failure to follow proper procedures. According to spokesperson Dieter Vangeel, a prior "alarm bell procedure" must first be submitted to authorise strike notices, which was not done in this case.
This situation is not unprecedented. Similar strike plans in February were rejected due to the same procedural issue, and unions had unsuccessfully challenged the rejection in the Council of State. In March, however, a sanctioned three-day rail strike did proceed.
The solidarity protest is expected to have "several dozen" participants, added Tony Fonteyne, head of ACOD Spoor's Flemish division. He stressed its symbolic nature.
Separately, on 12 May, union members will travel to Brussels by train to join a broader interprofessional union action coinciding with a parliamentary session addressing pension reform. The reform, approved in committee last month, may face delays due to opposition manoeuvres ahead of final voting.
