Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels on Wednesday to protest against the Belgian government’s austerity measures.
“We are being cheated,” said union leaders, who criticized the lack of social dialogue.
Unions in Belgium have been protesting for months against the federal government’s plans to cut social benefits. They estimated that between 30,000 and 35,000 people took part in the protest on Wednesday. Police put the number at 20,000.
With this latest demonstration, the unions wanted to once again express their opposition to the government’s policies before the summer holidays. They claim that the announced cuts represent social destruction and criticize the lack of social dialogue.
In their speeches, the unions sharply criticized both the government and the employers. Thierry Bodson, president of the socialist ABVV union, called the federal government a right-wing “government of liars.”
