Thousands of Belgian workers on 31 March 2025 staged a nationwide general strike, protesting the harsh austerity measures imposed by the Arizona coalition government. Participated by the BWI-affiliated CSC-ACV BIE and CG-FGTB, the strike delivers a resounding rejection of policies that cut pensions, freeze wages, and erode hard-won labour protections. Workers argue that these so-called necessary cuts will only deepen inequality while shielding corporations and the ultra-wealthy from paying their fair share.

The Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) expressed its full solidarity with the Belgian workers, condemning the austerity measures as an attack on labour rights and social justice. BWI affirmed that workers across the world stand with Belgian trade unions in their fight against policies that prioritise corporate profits over people’s livelihoods.

At the heart of the protest is the Arizona coalition’s insistence that “there is no alternative” to its cost-cutting agenda, an assertion fiercely disputed by trade union leaders. The government’s budget slashes €2.7 billion from pensions and end-of-career benefits, another €2.7 billion from healthcare and unemployment support, and €500 million from essential social services. Meanwhile, Belgian businesses receive €16 billion annually in subsidies, making them the most heavily subsidised in Europe.

Trade unions asserted that the introduction of a weak capital gains tax—expected to generate just €500 million—does little to correct the glaring imbalance in Belgium’s tax system. Instead, proposed changes to automatic wage indexation and the expansion of precarious employment threaten to push more workers into financial insecurity. The strike sends a clear message: working people refuse to be scapegoated for a budget crisis created by political choices that prioritise profit over people.

As public frustration mounts, the massive workers’ mobilisation is about more than rejecting the Arizona coalition’s policies—it is a fight for an alternative vision of economic justice. Unions and workers demand a government that prioritises social protections, fair wages, and a tax system where the wealthiest contribute their fair share. As strikes and protests sweep across Belgium, one thing is clear: the working class will not accept austerity without a fight.