Chaos at Brussels Airport as national strike hits Belgium
A nationwide strike has plunged Belgian airports into chaos, paralyzing operations at Brussels Airport, where over half of the scheduled flights have been canceled.
Authorities have announced that rerouting flights is the responsibility of the airlines and are urging passengers to check directly with their carriers or on the airport's website to determine if their flight is affected.
Airport security and ground staff are participating in the strike, protesting against the Belgian government's planned austerity measures, according to Reuters.
"Unfortunately, we had to make the decision to cancel a number of flights. Of the 409 flights scheduled for today, 206 departures have been canceled. Arrivals are also affected. Only 93 flights will be able to land at Brussels Airport, out of the 203 scheduled," informed Ariane Goossens, Brussels Airport spokesperson.
The union actions, which began on Monday and are scheduled to last three days, are impacting airports, rail transport, and public services. Unions argue that the government's austerity measures are unfair and will place a heavier burden on employees.
"The government has decided to take measures that will have a severe impact on all employees in Belgium. These decisions affect employees' pensions, the indexation mechanism we have, and wages; some things concerning shift premiums are also changing. So, all the measures have a negative impact on Belgian workers," states Tim Roelandt, a representative of the Airport Employees' Unions.
Although the government reached a budget agreement for the next year after months of tense negotiations, it failed to avoid the strike due to the austerity measures it must implement. Belgium is grappling with a deficit of €26 billion. Estimates suggest this could expand to €39 billion in the next four years if current policies remain unchanged.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
