Belgian trade unions protest against rising cost of living

BRUSSELS: The three largest trade unions of Belgium took a joint action to demand solutions to the purchasing power crisis and to the rising energy costs affecting the cost of living.

The action came in form of a protest on Wednesday organised by the Socialist General Labour Federation (FGTB), the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (CSC) and the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions (CGSLB), reports Xinhua news agency.

Around 10,000 people took part in a "national day of action" here, according to the FGTB, calling on the government to freeze energy prices and redistribute the energy companies' excess profits.

The federal government announced measures on September 16 to deal with the energy crisis. These included the extension of the social tariff for low-income families.

But these measures "are not enough and will barely cover the month of November", CSC head Marc Leemans said.

Demonstrators denounced the precarious conditions in which many, in particular those less well-off, find themselves.

They carried banners that read "everything increases except wages" and "combat the rising cost of living".

The unions are threatening to organise another general strike on November 9 "if solutions are not found quickly".