Successful general strike in Belgium
From November 23th to 26th, Belgium saw successful action against the austerity measures and budget cuts of the ‘Arizona’ rightist government, culminating in a general strike. The PVDA-PTB, present at 700 picket lines, had a clear message: “Listen to the workers, listen to those who keep the country running every day: Hands off our pensions, hands off the indexation of our wages or our night shift bonuses.”
The working class mobilized strongly in response to the call from the united trade union front [FGTB, CSC and CGSLB] against the austerity reform plans of the De Wever-Bouchez government [prime minister for the right-wing Flemish nationalist N-VA and deputy prime minister for the rightist neoliberal MR].
These four days, we saw the Belgium that resists. From Antwerp to Liège, from Mons to Hasselt, from Charleroi to Ghent, via Brussels and everywhere else, the country felt the strength of the working class. This Wednesday, November 26th, those who keep the country running and create its wealth were out in force for the climax of four consecutive days of action and strikes that have heated up the country.
As a response to the government's social destruction, the message was clear on all the picket lines:
✋ Stop stealing our pensions
👊Hands off the indexation of our wages
👉Stop always taking money from our pockets with taxes...
... and go get the money where it really is: from the ultra-rich and the handouts to big corporations.
The strikers are only a fraction of the many people who reject the government's policy. And this growing discontent is putting pressure on the government. No matter how much they continue to announce measures, at certain points they are also forced to back down. The pension penalty, a sanction the government wants to impose on those who would retire before 67, has already been postponed until at least 2027, and will not apply to periods of illness. A victory due to popular pressure.
“Together, we can make them back down”, the PVDA-PTB affirmed.
