The three-day strike is presented as an action aimed at protecting purchasing power and the prosperity of our country. In reality, it hits the Belgian economy at a moment when it is already extremely vulnerable.
This strike causes several hundred million euros in additional damage in a context of industrial recession, massive job losses (15,000 in industry), bankruptcies (9,626, an increase of 4.2% compared to the same period last year) and over-indebtedness. No constituency benefits from this kind of action.
Pieter Timmermans, CEO of the FEB: “Defending our prosperity by further damaging the economy has exactly the opposite effect. It’s like drilling yet another hole in the hull of a ship that is already taking on water. The challenge is clear: we must make our economy more resilient in order to protect our prosperity and jobs. Failing to do so, or continuing to advocate the status quo, amounts to passing the full bill on to our children. Today, the precarious situation of our economy cannot tolerate confrontation, intimidation tactics or additional socio-economic damage.”
An economy in great difficulty
The Belgian economy is under severe pressure. Our companies face a wage-cost handicap of 12.2% compared to our three neighbouring countries and pay, for their gas, prices three to four times higher than in the United States, and significantly higher than in neighbouring countries.
The Belgian industry has been in recession for nearly three years now. During this period, more than 15,000 jobs have been lost.
The recent restructuring announcements in the chemical sector (BASF, Celanese) have once again shown how fragile our economic fabric is. Employment is also stagnating in the retail and construction sectors.
A crucial timing
At a time when companies and investors are finalizing key files for 2026, this strike casts a shadow over Belgium’s image as a stable and reliable investment destination.
The impact of this action goes beyond immediate economic damage: a marathon of strikes right now harms the credibility of our country and fuels doubts among our international partners. This increases the risk that investment decisions will be reconsidered in favour of other markets, at a time when we should be fighting tooth and nail for every job in Belgium.
Press release by the Fédération des Entreprises de Belgique