Strike tomorrow to protest against the decline in purchasing power: “We have seen the appearance of poor workers in the public service”

Michel Meyer was the guest at 7:50 a.m. at the microphone of Fabrice Grosfilley. The president of the CGSP returned to the reasons which push the public service to strike this Tuesday, May 31. In particular, he wants an increase in purchasing power because the current financial situation has, according to him, revealed poverty among workers in the public sector.

The entire public service will be on strike this Tuesday, May 31. Rail traffic, in particular, will be severely disrupted in the provinces of Namur, Liège and Luxembourg. No trains will run in these three provinces, and elsewhere, there will also be fewer of them. There are approximately 1 in 4 trains in the north of the country. The TECs and the STIB will also be greatly disrupted, as they are mobilizing.

If education is also likely to be impacted by this strike, the president of the CGSP reassures: “There will be no problem accommodating the children.” The teachers are, according to him, well aware that we are about to enter the exam period. “There will undoubtedly be schools where teachers will be on strike, but there will always be a welcome that will be provided. Above all, they will carry out awareness-raising actions vis-à-vis parents”he said.

Michel Meyer was the guest of 7:50 at the microphone of Fabrice Grosfilley. He returned to the reasons that push the public service to go on strike on Tuesday. He cites in particular the lack of personnel. “We can no longer recruit in the public service.” He also wants more resources and investments to be put in place “so that the public service can do its job, in particular by fighting against tax or social fraud.” The president of the CGSP also speaks of an increase in purchasing power.

According to him, the financial situation of recent years to show “working poor in the public service”he insists. “You must not believe that everyone in the civil service earns 2500-3000 euros every month”he continues, citing the example of a young teacher who works part-time in 4 different schools. “We don’t pay him his travel expenses”deplores Michel Meyer.

The solution would be to “increase wages”because all the measures put in place such as meal vouchers, “these are means less for social security.” For the president of the CGSP, it is clear that the Belgian State has the financial means to increase salaries. “He made tax gifts to the private sector”he said.

This Tuesday’s strike movement will thus be “the opportunity to remember that the public service exists.” It was indeed considered essential during the covid crisis, and now that this crisis is almost behind us, “we forget that the civil service was essential and we make it a budgetary adjustment variable.”

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