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6 October, 2005ICEM News release No. 21/2005
The 20-million-member ICEM, based in Brussels, fully supports the actions of Belgian workers tomorrow to strike to protect their pension system and the country's current social security plan.
ICEM Belgian affiliate FGTB-ABVV announced earlier in the week that it would stage a 24-hour general strike on 7 October in order to send a clear message to government and business that it will not tolerate the burden of social restructuring placed on workers.
FGTB-ABVV’s call: To defend a proper pension system,
decent jobs for all and adequate social security,
we strike before it’s too late
"We stand firmly behind FGTB-ABVV in their call for a strike," stated ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. "It is unfair to place all of the burden on workers when attempting to change the social security structure."
Unions and employers' associations have been negotiating with the government of Belgium for changes in the retirement system that could lead to eroding conditions for workers preventing them from retiring with full benefits.
The FGTB-ABVV is fighting to preserve the current age at which workers can retire; resisting penalties placed on workers who fall victim to redundancies and restructurings; proposing more jobs programmes for young workers; and coming up with new methods to refinance social security, including placing a greater burden on the wealthy and no additions to the value added tax.
Read more:
FGTB's Call for Strike (in French)
http://www.fgtb.be/PDF/fr/Actions/
2005/Greve/Greve24heures.pdf
Issues on This Strike from Affiliate La Centrale
Generale FGTB (in French)
http://www.accg.be/news/be-fr/Tract%20préavis%20FR.pdf