For the fourth time in as many months, Belgium will grind to a halt on Tuesday 29 April, as workers in both the private and public sectors will protest against the new Federal Government's budget cuts. Which disruptions are expected?

The Christian union CVC/ACV and socialist union FGTB/ABVV are continuing their mobilisation against what they call the new Federal 'Arizona' Government's policy of "social destruction": people will have to work longer for lower pensions, the civil servants' statute is being eroded, and cuts are being made to the cap for the unemployed and the long-term sick.

"Billions for arms, crumbs for workers," the socialist trade union said. The Christian union also lashed out at the "destruction government," arguing that workers will have to work harder and more flexibly, while wages remain frozen.

"In the face of a government that protects the interests of large companies and the richest at the expense of workers, pensioners, young people, women and the most vulnerable, we are calling for massive resistance across the country," they said.

Workers and sympathisers of the cultural sector gathered at Place de la Monnaie in Brussels on Monday 31 March 2025. Credit: Belga/James Arthur Gekiere

General actions

This time, unions are organising "a regional day of action" as actions and demonstrations will take place around the country.

In Brussels, a march will start at 10:00 at Brussels-North railway station and make its way to Mont des Arts. There, the demonstration will conclude with testimonies from workers from various sectors.

Meanwhile, Flemish demonstrators will take to the streets in Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever's Antwerp, as well as in Ghent, Hasselt and Roeselare. In Wallonia, actions are planned in Charleroi, Tournai, Liège, Namur, La Louvière, Eupen and Verviers.

Notably, a delegation from the trade union front will also be travelling to Bièvre (Namur province) to meet Federal Employment and Economy Minister David Clarinval (MR).

In addition to the demonstrations, picket lines will be set up in several companies and areas: the unions intend to raise public awareness by distributing leaflets at busy roundabouts, such as those in Mons and La Louvière.

Unlike the previous strike in March, no major actions are planned in most public services. This means that rubbish should be collected and municipal services should operate as usual. Additionally, the education sector will not participate in this month's strike.

Cancelled flights

All departing flights at Brussels Airport in Zaventem will be cancelled on Tuesday. The airport operator previously warned that "at least" 30% of its departing flights would be cancelled, before raising that percentage to 50% on Monday afternoon. In the evening, they announced that all departing flights were cancelled.

As the airport's handlers and security staff will strike, the airport is "forced to take measures to carry out our airport operations in the best possible way and guarantee the safety" of passengers and staff.

"Brussels Airport has just received information from the external security service provider G4S that, contrary to previous communication, they cannot guarantee any occupancy for the security check on Tuesday," the airport told Belga News Agency. "This means that no departing flights can take place."

In principle, there will be less disruption for arriving flights, because those passengers do not have to go through security checks. However, there is a good chance that many arriving flights will also be cancelled; after all, planes that do not depart cannot return either.

Under normal circumstances, Brussels Airport expected around 470 flights to and from the airport on Tuesday, representing 66,000 passengers. Of these, 237 departures were included, half of which will have to be cancelled. Passengers whose flights are affected will not be notified by Brussels Airport, but directly by the airlines.

A strike action takes place at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, on Monday 31 March 2025. Credit: Belga/Ine Gillis

People flying on Tuesday should also take into account possible public transport disruptions when going to and from the airport. Brussels Airport is warning passengers to be at the airport two hours before departure for a flight within the Schengen zone, and three hours for a long-haul flight.

For Charleroi Airport, all flights to and from the airport on Tuesday have been cancelled as there will not be enough staff "to run operations in complete safety," the airport announced. "We regret the impact of these actions on our passengers' travel plans and apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Passengers due to board from the airport will be contacted by their airline for a rebooking or refund.

Public transport

Major disruptions to public transport are expected across the country.

In Brussels, public transport operator STIB/MIVB is expecting "serious disruption" of its metro, tram and bus network. "The exact extent of the disruptions cannot be predicted at this time."

During previous strikes, only one metro line (usually line 1) has operated, while most tram and bus lines were interrupted. The exact services which are affected will be confirmed early on Tuesday morning.

Passengers should find alternative travel solutions in Brussels on that day. "We will do everything in our power to ensure at least part of the service, and will inform passengers in real time about the situation on the network, STIB/MIVB said.

Credit: Belga/ Laurie Dieffembacq

In terms of trains, national railway operator SNCB/NMBS is also expecting disruptions on its network. While railway traffic was initially expected to be disrupted the entire week because of a week-long train strike, the strike notice has now been refused. As a result, railway traffic will only be disrupted from 22:00 on Monday until 22:00 on Tuesday.

Three in five IC trains (between major cities) will run on Tuesday, as will half of local L trains and suburban S trains. During the morning and evening rush hours, not many P trains will be operated. Any possible impact on international trains (EuroCity, Eurocity Direct, TGV INOUI, Eurostar, ICE etc) is not known at this time. Further updates can be found here.

As with previous strikes, SNCB/NMBS advises passengers to prepare their journey well and regularly check the online journey planner, via the app or website. From Monday morning, these will show the alternative train service for Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Flemish public transport operator De Lijn is warning its customers of disruptions: a third of buses and over half of trams will not run. An alternative service has been worked out, and can be found in De Lijn's route planner on its website or app.

In Wallonia, public transport operator TEC is also expecting disruptions to its service and said it would communicate these per province "in the early hours of Tuesday." The cancelled routes will be available in the timetable search (line and stop) on the letec.be website and the TEC app, and updated throughout the day.

Other expected disruptions

Additionally, shipping traffic to and from the Port of Antwerp will be disrupted from Monday evening until Wednesday morning, reports the agency Maritime Services and Coast (MDK).

While some of the staff at the MDK's Zandvliet traffic centre will take part in the day of action, shipping traffic will be monitored at all times to ensure safety. In other services provided by the agency, such as passenger water transport, no strike has been announced for the time being.

"MDK is doing all it can to minimise disruption and in doing so is dependent on all partners in the nautical chain," the MDK said. "The agency regrets the situation and the impact on the nautical chain. On the MDK website, the most up-to-date situation can always be consulted."

This article was updated at 23:00 to include the latest updates by Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport.

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