General strike in Belgium against government reforms

Published on
12/05/2026 – 18:05 GMT+2

Between 40,000 and 70,000 people marched through the streets of Brussels on Tuesday. The demonstrators gathered at the call of the country’s three main trade unions to denounce the federal government’s reforms, which the trade unions consider to be “anti-social”.

The main issues and demands of the demonstration: pensions, purchasing power and automatic wage indexation.

Unions have condemned a pension reform that leaves workers worse off. They have also condemned an attack on the automatic indexation of wages.

The rally took place against a backdrop of soaring energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East.

This national demonstration is part of a trade union campaign led for the past year and a half by workers’ representatives against the ruling coalition government led by Prime minister Bart De Wever, a Flemish nationalist.

Public transport across the country was running at a reduced service. Charleroi Airport cancelled all flights scheduled for the day.

The last national demonstration, on March 12, had drawn between 80,000 and 100,000 people to Brussels.

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