Belgian Rail Unions Announce Five-Day Strike Over Reforms and Funding Cuts

Nationwide Rail Disruption Expected

Belgian rail unions have announced a significant five-day strike set to commence on Monday, January 26, 2026, and conclude on Friday, January 30, 2026. The industrial action, spearheaded by unions such as CGSP-Cheminots/ACOD-Spoor and ACV-Transcom, aims to protest a series of government reforms affecting the national railway company SNCB/NMBS and infrastructure manager Infrabel.

Pierre Lejeune of ACOD Spoor confirmed the strike dates, stating that a formal strike notice would be filed in the week of January 5, 2026. Unions have indicated that the decision is 'irrevocable' unless the federal government withdraws the contested reform plans.

Key Grievances Driving the Strike

The unions' primary concerns revolve around several government-backed measures:

• Civil-Service Status for New Recruits: A central point of contention is the planned abolition of permanent civil-servant status for new rail staff, effective from June 2026. Unions argue this change will strip workers of essential protections, job security, pension benefits, and collective bargaining power.
• Changes to Social Dialogue: Unions also oppose proposed alterations to social dialogue rules. These changes would permit HR Rail to impose decisions if a two-thirds majority is not achieved within the joint committee, a mechanism unions describe as an 'anti-union bypass mechanism'.
• Railway Funding Cuts: A planned reduction of €675 million in railway funding during the current legislative period is another significant grievance.
• Pension Reforms: The strike targets broader pension reforms, including proposals to raise the retirement age to 67 from 2027 and modify how pensions are calculated. Specifically, civil servants' pensions are slated to be harmonized with those of employees and self-employed individuals, with calculations based on an entire career rather than just the last 10 years. Additionally, the equalisation of civil servants' pensions will be limited to 0.3% annually above price indexation, and stricter conditions for the minimum pension will require 20 years of actual work.

The government maintains that ending tenure for new hires is necessary to align the rail sector with EU liberalisation rules.

Anticipated Impact on Travel and Economy

The five-day strike is expected to cause widespread disruption across Belgium's national rail network. It could paralyze services, affecting an estimated 900,000 daily passenger journeys and critical freight corridors. While SNCB/NMBS has indicated it will operate a minimum service, details regarding specific train schedules will only be released closer to the strike dates.

Travelers relying on Belgian rail for domestic routes, cross-border connections, and airport access, particularly at Brussels Airport, face a high risk of delays and cancellations. Previous 24-hour rail stoppages in 2025 resulted in service levels dropping to 25% and an estimated cost of €12 million per day in lost productivity for employers.

Outlook for Resolution

Despite two rounds of unsuccessful negotiations with the minister, union representative Pierre Lejeune stated that the chances of averting the strike are slim. The upcoming parliamentary debates on the funding cuts and pension reforms are expected to coincide with the strike, intensifying pressure on both sides to find a resolution.