Nearly 300 people gathered on Wednesday evening outside Molenbeek-Saint-Jean’s city hall to protest against proposed cost-cutting measures in the draft 2026 municipal budget, currently under preparation.
The protesters, organised by a joint union front, were later heard by the municipal council.
Union representatives criticised plans to halve the end-of-year bonus for staff and to cut around 40 jobs in the municipal administration and social services.
Mixed reactions
Following the council session, union leaders had mixed reactions. One representative summed it up by stating, “There’s nothing left to squeeze out of this lemon.”
Unions questioned the local government about a “worst-case scenario,” in which the Brussels Region and Belfius could reject the municipal budget next week.
According to unions, the mayor attempted to provide reassurances, saying a budget should be approved next week, coupled with a three-year plan to restore municipal finances. “If this is true, we will need to see all the numbers to reassure workers,” union leaders responded.
Some guarantees
Despite lingering concerns, unions said they had received some guarantees. “Workers came in large numbers to express their anger," they said. "We denounced a catastrophic situation, and we’ve been given hope that these measures will secure funding. We believe we’ve managed to stop the bleeding.”
The municipality is seeking to close a budget deficit of €4 million. Unions blame the financial struggles on chronic underfunding of local authorities by both Brussels Region and the Federal Government.
They issued an unlimited strike notice earlier this week.
