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Monday, December 15, 2014

24 hour strike in Belgium Monday Dec 15,2014

 A lone passenger gazes up at the departures board at Brussels Airport where about 600 flights were grounded
A nationwide strike in Belgium has brought rail, road and air transport to a standstill and seen protesters tried to hurl eggs and fireworks at government offices.
A stranded passenger stands near an information desk in the deserted Brussels airport today 

The 24 hour strike is the country's first general strike since 2005 and comes in the wake of a new government's plans to save £8.7billion in the next five years. 
The nationwide strike in Belgium brought all rail, road and air transport to a standstill

The strike forced hundreds of factories and offices to shut. Around 600 flights were grounded at Brussels Airport today and Eurostar cancelled all Brussels-bound trains in France. 

Most trains on the high-speed Thalys link line between Paris and Brussels were also cancelled, with local bus, tram and metro services also affected.

Unions are opposing a decision by Prime Minister Charles Michel - Belgium's new leader - to scrap a cost-of-living wage next year. Belgian law currently mandates that wage rise at the same pace as inflation. 
Charles Michel was sworn in as prime minister in October. The 38-year-old French-speaking liberal is Belgium's youngest leader since 1841.

They are also protesting against public sector cutbacks and plans to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67.

These reforms are part of a plan to plug the country's budget deficit, which stands at 3 per cent of GDP for 2014

A Belgian worker stands next to a placard reading 'Factory on strike'

A Belgian worker stands next to a placard reading 'Factory on strike' - unions called the strike a great success






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