Belgian Anti-Austerity General Strike (2014)

Mon Dec 15, 2014

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Image: A lone protester yelling on the street as tear gas is deployed around him. From an anti-austerity protest in Brussels on November 6th, 2014, in which as many as 120,000 protesters took part. Photo credit John Thys [cnn.com]

On this day in 2014, a 24-hour general strike took place in Belgium to oppose proposed austerity policies that would raise the pension age, freeze wages, and cut public services. Despite the massive strike, the government imposed austerity. The austerity measures were projected to save €11bn (£8.7bn) over five years.

The strike, the largest industrial action in Belgium in 20 years, grounded hundreds of flights, stopped all train services, caused ports to be blockaded, and forced many businesses, schools and government offices to close.

Despite the general strike and continued demonstrations over the following months, the Belgian government passed the proposed austerity policies.