Tomorrow, large demonstration to disrupt Brussels public transit

The anti-austerity protest will gather activists and trade unions from across Europe

Tomorrow, 12 December, a large anti-austerity demonstration is set to take place in Brussels. The protest is organised by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) together with Belgian confederations, and the focal point where speeches will be held in the area in front of the Palais de Justice on Place Poelaert, starting at 11:00 am.

Unlike most news about strikes sweeping through European cities, however, this time the local public transit system is both a culprit and a victim of the circumstances. The three trade unions representing employees working at STIB submitted a notice that they would also like to join the European protest and thus the transit operator found itself sitting tightly between a hammer and a hard place.

Brussels’ transit operator STIB has announced that because of the demonstration its bus, tram and metro services are likely to experience major disruptions so it’s warning commuters to plan accordingly in order to avoid inconveniences to their daily plans.

Follow the situation on the Floya app

Commuters and visitors to Brussels are advised to stay informed about service disruptions and possibilities on the STIB website or the Floya app, which collects in one spot all the public and private transit alternatives in the Belgian capital.

The latter ones include six operators: Villo (shared bikes), DOTT (shared e-scooters and bicycles), TIER (shared e-scooters), Cambio (shared cars), Poppy (shared cars) and Taxis Verts.

In addition, STIB has said that they will open their Contact Center at 6:00 am on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday's protest will bring together representatives from different industry sectors in light of the European Commission's tightening of the Stability and Growth Pact. According to the trade unions, the legislation would make member states cut social security and public services.