National strike on Tuesday: Brussels rubbish collections affected

Brussels waste collection agency Bruxelles-Propreté has warned that there could be disruption to rubbish collections today due to a national strike planned for Tuesday 23 June.

The exact impact of the trade union action remains to be seen for the time being, but the organisation expects some of its staff to join in the protest against federal policy.

Despite these possible disruptions, the regional waste collection service is asking residents to still put their bin bags out as scheduled, in accordance with the collection calendar.

If the bags are not collected on Tuesday, residents and shopkeepers may leave them out and extra collection rounds will take place on Wednesday 24 June.

This latest national strike includes a march “for human dignity and the defence of public services”.

“On this day, we should be celebrating International Public Services Day,” the strike notice from trade unions reads.

“Yet in Belgium, at all levels of government, public services and their staff are treated as mere variables in budgetary adjustments and are the targets of political attacks unprecedented in their scale and severity. The logic of austerity has become an end in itself.”

Other public services are also expected to operate at reduced capacity due to staff’s participation in the action.

Demonstrators will meet on Tuesday at 9.00 in front of the Petit Château in Brussels.

The march will set off at 10.00 and is scheduled to pass the ministries of social integration and public health, employlent agency Actiris and the French Community Commission, Cocof.

When the procession arrives at Boulevard du Régent, on the corner of Rue Belliard, speeches will be made before the demonstration continues to Place de la Monnaie at 12.00.