Thousands Of Belgians Take To New Pension System Demo Road, 430 Flights Canceled

UNSPLASH/Damien Checourse ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Thousands of Belgians took to the streets protesting the plan to reform the pension system planned by the new government. This is the first day of a mass strike that has stopped all air traffic in the country.

As reported by Reuters on Thursday, February 13, Brussels Airport canceled 430 flights on Thursday, a spokesman said. Disturbances in the air traffic sector will only last one day.

Protesters unfurled posters with slogans like "We are not lemons," and some of them put up placards featuring Latin phrases, which refer to the tendency of new Prime Minister Bart De Wever who always includes Latin quotes whenever possible.

The mass strike is also expected to disrupt public transportation and postal services, so firefighters and military personnel also participated in the protests.

Retirement reforms are planned to reward those who work through retirement age with a work period of 35 years, while early retirement without a work period of 35 years will be subject to fines.

This new system is less profitable for those who are low-income compared to the previous system, which provides allowances as well as based on a long career.

The Flemish nationalist Bart De Wever government was sworn in on February 3, after eight months of negotiations resulting in a coalition of five parties including the far-right, central and socialist party Vooruit.

The socialist union has warned that a strike will take place if Vooruit joins a middle-righter-dominated government.