Belgium: the country paralyzed by a general strike

On Monday December 15 the general strike, organized by a united union front protesting the government’s austerity measures, marked the culmination of a wave of strikes that has hit the country. Meetings between government and unions are to be held before the end of the week. Should talks fail the unions announced that action could continue in January.
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December 15 was the day of a real power struggle. After a wave of strikes over recent weeks (c.f. article No. 8773) the general strike called for by Belgium’s trades unions saw the whole country grind to a halt. Buses and trams stayed in their depots, the train stations were empty and planes stayed on the runways. Public services were closed (schools, courts, and post offices) and even some hospitals shut their doors. Belgians awoke on December 15 to a country completely paralyzed. The strike w

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