By Ilgin Karlidag
BRUSSELS
Belgium is paralyzed on Monday as a nationwide general strike hits public transportation, government offices, schools and private businesses.
The country’s entire airspace is closed and around 600 flights into Brussels have been cancelled. Airports in other Belgian cities such as Charleroi, Antwerp and Ostend are also closed.
Organized by Belgium’s three main trade unions, which represent some three million workers, the strike has been called to protest against the new center-right government’s plans to extend the retirement age, cut healthcare spending and to delay the indexation of wages in relation to prices
High-speed trains, local buses and metro lines are disrupted. Police issued a warning on Monday, urging motorists to share vehicles and avoid Brussels.
At least 50 people protested outside the European Commission in Brussels on Monday morning. Demonstrators blocked traffic in front of the commission building and chanted “Work! Work! Work!” in French.
Monday’s nationwide strike is the culmination of a series of smaller weekly stoppages since November 24. It comes on the same day as the European Parliament in Strasbourg will vote on the EU's 2015 budget and top-up funds to pay pending 2014 bills.
About 100,000 workers took to the streets of Brussels on November 6 to protest against the government’s austerity measures and pledges to cut corporation tax from 33 percent to 25 percent.
The linguistically divided country – split between French, Dutch and German speakers – is facing a slow-moving economy, which is expected to grow little more than one percent this year.
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