Catch-up rounds to collect rubbish missed due to strike

About 50% of waste collection rounds in the Brussels region were affected by Tuesday’s national strike action - but affected residents have been told to keep their bin bags out as catch-up rounds are planned.

Only half of trucks were able to leave the Bruxelles Propreté depots due to the strike and operational teams therefore prioritised the collection of residual waste in white bags.

The organisation advises residents that uncollected bags should not be brought back into their homes, as catch-up collections will be organised depending on the human resources available.

The collection of residual waste and blue rubbish bags was affected in the Cinquantenaire neighbourhood as well as in Schaerbeek and Koekelberg, where between 20% and 35% of collections were not carried out. In Etterbeek, the impact was particularly limited.

Collection of blue bags in Molenbeek, Laeken, Neder-Over-Heembeek, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Saint-Josse was also affected, while significant numbers of yellow bags in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Laeken and Etterbeek were not collected.

Collection of orange bags was impacted on the two Woluwe municipalities, Laeken and Neder-Over-Heembeek, and to a lesser extent in Etterbeek.

Garden waste collection rounds in Watermael-Boitsfort and Uccle did not occur, as the teams focused on food waste collection.

Tuesday's national demonstration drew between 80,000 demonstrators (according to police counts) and 140,000 (according to union organisers), protesting against austerity measures from the new federal government.

With the exception of a few minor scuffles, the march was peaceful and took place without incident.

Unions will meet before the end of the year to organise the next steps in the movement.