The CSC and FGTB trade union federations said on Tuesday they would launch new protests after the summer against the federal government’s policies.
In a joint statement, the two federations said a recent agreement reached by the federal government confirmed its intention to continue what they called a policy of social dismantling without addressing workers’ concerns.
With budget talks due to resume after the summer break, the unions are preparing to step up their campaign.
“After the summer, we will redouble our efforts to inform and raise awareness among the public, both in the streets and in workplaces. We are calling for a broad popular movement to send a strong signal to political leaders,” the CSC and FGTB said.
The unions did not say when the protests would take place or what form they would take.
However, after a union congress in June, FGTB President Bert Engelaar said there would be a “robust” action in September, followed by a “major action” in October.
Another large-scale mobilisation is expected later in the year. At the time, Engelaar said it could take the form of a large demonstration, while a general strike was also mentioned.
On the other hand, Synova has not announced any new action.
The liberal union said that, although it strongly disagreed with the measures adopted unilaterally by the council of ministers, it did not believe it was appropriate to announce protests at this stage.
Its spokesman, Kurt Van Hissenhoven, said the union would not remain idle, but would review the situation after summer while continuing to prioritise dialogue.
