SHOTLIST:

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (NOV. 26, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF STRIKE AT BRUSSELS AIRPORT

2. VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS AT AIRPORT

3. AIRPLANES WAITING AT APRON

4. VARIOUS OF SCREENS SHOWING CANCELLED FLIGHTS BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - NOVEMBER 26: Belgium’s public sector and transport network slowed to a crawl on Wednesday, Nov. 26, as a three‑day strike over government austerity measures entered its final day, forcing the cancellation of flights, trains and other essential services.

The strike, dubbed the “November Call” by organizers, was launched by Belgium’s trade unions to oppose planned cuts to social spending and changes to working conditions proposed by the federal government.

Union leaders say the austerity drive, which aims to trim the country’s national debt—now above 100 per cent of GDP—will erode pensions and other social benefits. On Wednesday, much of the country’s public workforce remained off the job.

Schools, nurseries, hospitals and municipal offices operated at a minimum or not at all. Waste collection and postal services were also disrupted. Rail services were curtailed after railway employees joined the strike.

In Brussels, workers at the STIB transport agency walked out, wiping out all bus services and most metro and tram lines in the capital. Transport staff in the Flemish and Walloon regions also took part, causing problems nationwide.

The walkout spread to airports, where ground staff at Brussels and Charleroi joined the protest. All flights from Charleroi were scrapped, while departures from Brussels Airport were cancelled.

Transport was the hardest hit on day one of the strike, with public services feeling the strain on the second day. The industrial action capped a year of rolling strikes that have already grounded flights and brought daily life in Belgium to a standstill.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s coalition, which took office in February, has argued that deep spending cuts are needed to bring down the country’s “excessively high” public debt. Unions, however, accuse the government of making ordinary workers pay for fiscal mismanagement and warn that the proposed belt‑tightening will erode the social safety net.