Strike action in Belgium will likely persist
Friday, December 16, 2022
Significance
This follows several strike actions in November, including a general strike of November 9 and an unprecedented three-day rail strike on November 28-30. The action is the most disruption Belgium has seen since the 'Yellow Vest' demonstrations of 2018.
Impacts
- As inflation persists, some firms are unlikely to be able to meet the wage increases required by indexation.
- Support for the far-right Vlaams Belang is soaring amid the economic crisis, raising the prospect it could win the next election.
- Belgium could introduce its own energy price cap if the EU does not.