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Police union action follows national strike
Motorists experienced long tailbacks on many routes in Belgium this morning due to protest action being carried out by police unions, just one day after the national strike. Police carried out drink driving tests and car document checks, as well as extra checks at Brussels Airport, the Eurostar terminal at Brussels South and on ramps leading to the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge.
Yesterday’s national strike brought a halt to public transport across Belgium, including national and international railways and all buses and trams. A fire that was set by protestors in Brussels South station caused damage to cables, which will take “at least 48 hours to repair,” according to SNCB/NMBS. The damage is causing delays on the Ostend-Brussels line.
Yesterday’s national strike was the culmination of several provincial strikes, all in protest at the federal government’s austerity measure, which see extensive changes to pensions and retirement age, and which seek to skip the wage index next year, which ties pay rises to the cost of living.
Police unions were today protesting at the plan to raise the minimum retirement age for police officers from 58 to 62. The police action has been criticised for its timing. “We wanted to show the government that we could achieve an impact without strike action,” said NSPV union representative Jean-Pierre Claes.
Comments
Retirement age should be at least 62 -- why should a policeman be able to retire earlier than a school teacher or whomever? Yes, some policemen are in harm's way but that is their choice. We each do what we are best at doing. People are living longer and someone has to pay the pensions so we have to work longer. I feel sure the criminals and petty thieves in Brussels follow the news and were out in full force while the police were not going to work.
Harms way? Loads more jobs carry more risk than being a Belgian police officer. Besides, running a desk carries very few risks at all, apart from death by boredom.
Belgium desperately needs to grow up but decades of Belgian politicians spoiling the population like little kids is going to take some reversing. If Belgium cannot rely on the Police behaving in a responsible manner, what hope the rest of the country?
People complain when there is a strike; they also complain when protest action is not accompanied by a strike... As to reasons to protest: that's up to those involved and nobody else!