Belgium’s railway unions have announced a temporary suspension of their strike actions to begin negotiations with Federal Pensions Minister Jan Jambon, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.
The unions — ACOD Spoor, ACV Transcom, VSOA Spoor, OVS, and ASTB — have carried out 23 strikes since the beginning of the year. They are protesting the federal government’s proposals to raise the retirement age, cut public spending, and implement reforms at HR Rail, the railway sector’s employer.
However, the unions stated that they will now pause sector-specific strikes to allow for negotiations to take place. They anticipate that the talks with Minister Jambon will take several months.
No Total Strike Ban
Gunther Blauwens of ACOD Spoor clarified that this does not mean all strike actions are off the table. “We will still take part in broader, cross-sector actions, such as the one scheduled for 20 May by ACOD,” he said. He added that strikes will be avoided during school exam periods.
The unions emphasized that their decision requires mutual commitment from all sides and promised to keep their members regularly updated on the progress of negotiations.
Passenger advocacy group TreinTramBus welcomed the decision. “Passengers have endured enough over recent months,” said its president, Peter Meukens. “We’re glad to see some stability returning. SNCB users deserve reliable service again.”
