The national strike from the big unions of Belgium hits public transport, airports and ships

Tens of thousands of people have come out on the street in Brussels as part of a national strike because of government reforms and cost redundancies that have stopped flights and severely violate public transport.

The three major alliances of Belgium protest against pensions and other measures of the central government government Prime Minister Bart de Waver aimed at reducing the budget deficit.

There were no services at the second largest airport in Belgium in Charleroy, and all the departments and many of the arrival was canceled at the Brussels Airport.

Although trains were flowing, most buses, trams and underground trains in the capital stopped.

Delivery to the second largest port in Europe was stopped by Wednesday due to a disadvantage, and more than 100 ships were waiting in the North Sea for a permit to moor three ports, according to the Belgium MDK Maritime and Coastal Services.

Belgium has been hit by several strokes since the Flemish nationalist Bart de Waver came to his post last February.

By noon, police said 80,00,000 protesters had joined the demonstration in the Belgian capital.

Public sector workers protested against strict savings and the government was increasingly perceived as inclined law.

They are rolled up the streets of the central Brussels, with many bearing the red or green colors of the main alliances.

A key issue for trade unions is the government’s plan to increase the number of days that the Belgians work annually before they can receive their pensions, as well as the end of special schemes for several sectors, including military and rail workers.

The De Wever Government has also announced measures, including a maximum two -year limit for a request for unemployment benefit. The more redundancies are planned for the budget for the next year, and some proposals such as reducing child benefits or increased VAT are already floating.

“It’s time to get together,” said Anais, 29. “It’s always the same part of the population that has to tighten its belts.”

Holding the sign showing the number 67 with a red line through it, she objected to the pension era, which goes up: “65 is enough. 67 is too late. We are asked to work more, to work for longer hours. It is not fair.”

The rise of retirement age was accepted 10 years ago, long before the De Waver government came to office, but it remains deeply unpopular and the government aims to do it and make it more expensive to retire earlier.

Thierry Bodson of the ABVV Union told demonstrators that “the fight against the De Waver government is not only the battle of a day or a year – but for a whole generation,” Belga News Agency reported.

“We have to fight for our rights,” said a mother at Dveaa, who travels from Charleroy.

“I’m worried about the measures that will be taken. What future will my children have?” She told the BBC.

Not only the federal government is under pressure to reduce costs. The complex management of multi -level Belgium management means that regional authorities also impose measures for strict savings.

The ruling coalition is largely the French-speaking region of Walloon in Belgium has announced that teachers at higher levels of secondary schools will have to work an additional two hours a week.

Many of them have joined the protests today.

“Nothing is clear and really disturbing, but if higher level teachers have to work more, many jobs will be shortened,” says 48-year-old Sandrin, who works in education.

Although the protests were largely peaceful, there were several cases of vandalism and arson early in the morning and some people in masks were confronted with police later.