Belgium’s socialist FGTB and Christian CSC trade unions will stage a joint demonstration in Brussels on Monday 9 October in what they are calling a first warning to the government ahead of the Prime Minister’s general policy statement on the following Tuesday.
The two unions said the protest was intended to send a fresh message to the government just days before that speech. The CSC also said the demonstration would follow an information and awareness campaign due to begin on Wednesday.
As part of that effort, union members will visit workplaces and public spaces in large numbers to distribute a “gazette” setting out their alternative budget proposals.
Government's measures have meant more hardship, unions say
According to the CSC, the Arizona government’s measures are pushing large numbers of people into hardship while doing nothing to reduce the public deficit. It said that the country and its population were now in a worse position than ever.
CSC and FGTB said they had already put forward €21 billion worth of alternative measures to what they described as the government’s failing policy. The CSC said the government should take those proposals seriously because its approach had proved ineffective.
The FGTB said it was demanding fair choices and warned the government that, if it once again made the same people pay, it would face strong social resistance.
Three red lines
The federation feels those with the broadest shoulders should finally bear a fair share of the effort.
It is therefore calling on the government to change course and has set three red lines: any unilateral attack on wage indexation, an increase in VAT, and the annualisation of working time.
The FGTB warned that, if this warning went unanswered and the government crossed any of those red lines during the October budget conclave, it had a mandate to call a general strike during the week of 23 November.
Liberal union
CSC General Secretary Marie-Hélène Ska said, however, that she wanted to wait and see how the budget talks developed and did not wish at this stage to issue a similar threat.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, the liberal union Synova had not yet officially stated its position on the 9 October demonstration or on the possibility of a general strike at the end of November.
