Belgian Unions Plan New Strikes After Summer, Accuse Gov

Belgium’s two largest trade unions, the Christian ACV and the Socialist ABVV, announced on Tuesday that they will launch new waves of protest actions after the summer recess, accusing the federal government of Prime Minister Bart De Wever of persisting with what they describe as a policy of “social destruction.” The announcement, made via a joint press release on Belgium’s National Day, signals that months of labor unrest are set to escalate further in the autumn.

Context: A Government Under Fire

The “Arizona” coalition government — comprising the Flemish nationalist N-VA, socialist Vooruit, Christian democratic CD&V, and liberal MR and Les Engagés — took office in early 2025 with a mandate for fiscal consolidation and labor market reform. Since then, the government has pursued an ambitious austerity agenda, targeting billions of euros in savings through pension reform, healthcare cuts, and labor market flexibilization.

According to VRT NWS, the unions’ press release states that “the agreement the federal government reached in the Council of Ministers just before the summer holiday confirms that it is holding onto its policy of social destruction, without offering an answer to the concerns of workers and benefit recipients.”

Key Grievances

The unions specifically point to the core cabinet agreement reached on July 18, which introduced “accordeonweken” (accordion weeks) — annualized working hours that allow employers to vary weekly schedules without overtime pay, provided workers consent. The unions argue this will erode purchasing power.

Other flashpoints include planned healthcare spending reductions, stricter controls on long-term sick leave, and changes to Belgium’s automatic wage indexation system and VAT rates. The unions accuse De Wever of returning to his “klavertjevier” (four-leaf clover) approach — a combination of measures they say places the burden of austerity on ordinary workers.

A History of Protest

Labor unrest has been a defining feature of the De Wever government. Protests began even before the coalition formally took office, with 30,000 people demonstrating on January 13, 2025. The movement escalated dramatically through the year: 60,000 protesters took to the streets on February 12, and by October 2025, unions organized what they called a “historic” demonstration drawing 140,000 participants in Brussels.

The most recent national demonstration on May 12, 2026, brought 40,000 people to the capital, according to police estimates. HLN reports that the unions are now preparing to “intensify efforts to broadly inform and sensitize the population, both on the street and on the work floor” after the summer.

Escalation Plans

ABVV chairman Bert Engelaar had already outlined an ambitious escalation timeline at a union congress in June. According to HLN, Engelaar announced plans for a “hard” action in September, a major action in October, and another large action toward the end of the year — potentially including a general strike. “That could be a large demonstration. A general strike has also been put on the table. Hopefully in a united front,” Engelaar said.

Notably, the liberal union ACLVB (Synova) did not join the joint announcement, stating that it was too early to announce specific actions. This tactical split within the labor movement suggests differing assessments of how best to pressure the government.

The Government’s Position

The core cabinet agreement of July 18, detailed by VRT NWS, also included social accords for police and defense personnel, an import ban on products from occupied Palestinian territories, and the introduction of minimum service requirements during strikes in prisons — a measure unions view as an attack on the right to strike. Labor Minister David Clarinval (MR) defended the minimum service requirement as “common sense,” arguing that “the right to strike is a fundamental right, but it must go hand in hand with other fundamental obligations, such as safety and public service.”

What to Watch For

The post-summer period — from September through December 2026 — is shaping up to be a critical test for both the unions and the government. Budget negotiations after the summer recess will be a key flashpoint, and the unions are positioning themselves to influence those talks from the streets.

Several open questions remain: Will the liberal union eventually join the actions? What specific form will the September “hard” action take? And most significantly, will Belgium see its first general strike since the protests against the Michel government a decade ago?

What is clear is that Belgium faces a prolonged period of social tension. The Arizona coalition’s ability to implement its reform agenda while managing escalating labor unrest will be a defining test of its durability — and of Prime Minister De Wever’s political leadership.