De Lijn drivers start four-day strike on Friday

De Lijn unions have announced that bus and tram drivers will strike from Friday morning to Monday evening – the first weekend of the summer school holidays and the summer festival season. Drivers are protesting at not receiving a pay increase of 1.1%, which they say had been promised.
De Lijn management is now offering 1%, half of it in the form of a one-off bonus. The difference, unions said, is €6 million in wages.

Unions have called on all staff to take part in the strike on at least one of the four days, and more if possible. Striking workers are paid €30 to €35 a day compensation by their union. Though busses and trams are expected to run, services will be severely disrupted and commuters are advised to look for other means of transport.

Organisers of the four-day Rock Werchter, which starts on Thursday, have been assured that busses will be available to shuttle the tens of thousands of daily festival-goers to the site. The festival has also arranged for shuttle buses to travel to and from Leuven and Aarschot railway stations.

Antwerp’s Summerfestival, taking place on Friday and Saturday, has hired shuttle buses to transport its ticket-holders from the city’s Central Station and two other locations. The festival has also suggested that ticket-holders make use of the free ferry service on the Scheldt river, which begins operation this weekend.

“We’re really disappointed that De Lijn unions are striking right now, during the summer’s first festival weekend,” Wim Van der Borght of Summerfestival told VRT.

Photo courtesy De Lijn