9 November general strike in Belgium: What to expect

A nationwide pan-industry strike in Belgium this Wednesday (9 November) will bring disruption to flights, supermarkets and public services including schools and transport.

The strike has been called to protest against the rising cost of living and declining purchasing power.

Brussels public transport operator Stib has warned of major disruption to its services. Some metro, bus and tram lines are likely to not be served at all.

Passengers in Brussels who need to travel on Wednesday can receive regular service updates via the Stib's social media channels. The call centre will be open from 6.00 to answer questions.

The strike will also affect De Lijn public transport services in Flanders and TEC routes in Wallonia.

De Lijn will update the route planner on its website from Monday evening to show which services are running. TEC is urging passengers to "plan an alternative means of transport".

The SNCB is expecting disruption to Belgian train services from 22.00 on Tuesday evening. Two of the rail operator's three main trade unions are taking part in the day of action in response to what they describe as a "deterioration of working conditions" and short-staffing.

Brussels Airport has pre-emptively cancelled 40% of flights that were due to take off on Wednesday, to avoid excessive queues and delays.

Travellers are being asked to bring hand luggage only - and to allow plenty of time to reach the airport due to the strike's impact on public transport.

Charleroi Airport is also expecting severe disruption on 9 November. Some flights are likely to be cancelled and passengers should check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

For those whose flights are going ahead, it is recommended to arrive three hours in advance and to bring only hand luggage if possible.

Supermarket workers at Carrefour, Delhaize and Lidl have all announced their intention to join Wednesday's strike.

Picket lines will also be set up at several shopping centres in Wallonia, including Grands Prés in Mons, Médiacité in Liège and Charleroi's Rive Gauche.

The CGSP-Police trade union is also taking part in the day of industrial action and many police stations around the country are likely to be closed to the public.