Major demonstration staged in Brussels against Belgian gov't spending cuts

Tens of thousands of people joined a demonstration through the streets of Brussels on Wednesday, in a protest against Belgian government spending cuts.

The march was timed to coincide with the first anniversary in office for Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel, and saw union members from across the country converge on the capital.

Unions refused to officially communicate beforehand how many people they hoped would attend, but according to one union source reported by Le Soir newspaper, the figure could be in the region of 70,000.

The last major protest against Belgian government policy was on Nov. 6, 2014, when an estimated 100,000 demonstrators took part.

Unions are demanding an improvement in purchasing power for workers and those on benefits, a jobs plan for vulnerable groups and a shift of the tax burden towards those with major wealth and investment income.

Public transport across Belgium was disrupted on Wednesday, some hospitals operated a minimum level of service and there was also disruption to schools.

Eugene Ernst from teachers' union CSC told Le Soir on the eve of the protest: "Several thousand teachers are coming to the demonstration in Brussels. Some schools could have no teaching staff at all, while others will be very disrupted. We're expecting picket lines. Management have to make sure that all pupils who turn up are looked after."

The march was due to set off from Brussels North station at 11:00 local time (0900 GMT) and finish in the south of the city four hours later.

Taking part are the main unions FGTB, CSC and CGSLB, as well as Socialist and Green opposition politicians and the Federation of Francophone Students.

La Capitale newspaper reports that today's demonstration is likely to be the first in a series this autumn. A rail strike has been called for this Friday, Oct. 9, with an impact on international Eurostar and Thalys rail services.
  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn 7/10/15