Belgium

Ryanair pilots in Ireland, Sweden and Belgium will strike for 24-hours on Friday 10 August.

The strike is part of an ongoing dispute as pilots are demanding a fair and transparent approach to transfers between different bases. On 25 July Ryanair escalated the dispute by threatening to sack 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew, or transfer them to Poland.

The strike in France for the withdrawal of the “labour law” is continuing to spread slowly, and this week alone it has won over the waste treatment centres; it is continuing in the refineries; it is supported by thousands of local groups of activists, in particular CGT members, who are active in logistics and transport centres.

I have been talking with Brussels transport workers and trade unionists in the aftermath of the 22 March Daesh bombings which killed 32 people and injured hundreds more. Amidst the news reporting and political demagogy, it is important that their voices are heard.

Two workers died in the Brussels airport bombing - one working on check-in, the other in baggage handling. Others were injured, and still more were traumatised by what they experienced: helping the injured and dying, seeing body parts among the baggage. At least 14 passengers also perished.

Belgian trade unions are mobilising against ruling class plans to “do a Thatcher”, cutting pensions and workers’ rights, and removing the automatic link between inflation and wage increases.

Following the election of a right-wing Flemish nationalist dominated government last year, Belgian trade unions — divided by political affiliation and linguistic groups — formed a common front and conducted a wave of national demonstrations and regional strikes culminating in a highly effective and well supported general strike on 15 December.

The three union confederations in Belgium — the FGTB, linked to the social democratic parties, the CSC, the Catholic confederation, and the liberal-linked CGSLB — have called a general strike for 15 December against the new right-wing government’s cuts plans.

There have been regional general strikes on 24 November, 1 December, and 8 November and a demonstration on 6 November.

The Tories’ declared budget plans mean more and more cuts, and at an accelerating rate, in 2015-20.

On top of the £25 billion cut from annual budgets between 2010-11 and 2014-5, they would cut another £48 billion from those budgets by 2018-9.

The Financial Times estimated the numbers from official statistics and the Tories’ declared intention to have the government budget in overall surplus (current income covering both current and capital spending) by 2020.

Actuellement, les revendications communautaires ne sont pas mises en avant sous la pression des masses, bien au contraire. Le terrain communautaire est la plaine de jeux par excellence des politiciens en accord sur la politique d’austérité néo-libérale à mener, mais qui veulent colorer cette politique de leur propre teinte régionale.

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THE ECLIPSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL

Percée du PTB et bilan contrasté

Analyser les résultats d’élections communales est toujours une gageure parce que, dans les choix des électeurs, se mêlent des motivations très diverses, allant des questions purement communales aux grands enjeux nationaux. Chercher à tirer des enseignements généraux à partir des résultats des scrutins à Durbuy et à Puurs n’a pas un grand sens. Par contre, les résultats dans les villes – et surtout les grandes villes – donnent des indications intéressantes.

20,000 workers marched to protest job losses at a Ford plant in Genk, Belgium, on Sunday 11 November.

4,300 workers face losing their jobs, and workers at the plant had previously responded to the announcement by blockading the factory gates. Sunday’s demonstration saw the campaign turn out to the wider community, as well as mobilising Ford workers from plants in Germany. A delegation from Belgium had visited Ford’s European headquarters in Cologne, where they held a demonstration of around 100 workers.