Strike Disrupts Belgium Rail Travel

By Terry Green
Oct 18 2010

A 24 hour strike begun by rail workers in Belgium this morning has disrupted the busy rail travel system.

According to reports from Belgium, all high-speed rail travel has been cancelled today, virtually shutting down area and leaving commuters stranded and looking for a way to get to their jobs.

The strike is in response to the stalled negotiations between the union and rail companies over job losses and compensation packages. Negotiations are set to restart today but thus far the two parties involved have been too far apart to reach any kind of a deal.

The striking started in France when rail workers walked out, leaving the country stranded. Because of the mass strike most of Northern Europe has come to a standstill when it comes to rail travel of any kind.

Travel disruptions have been reported all the way to the Netherlands, and have caused massive traffic jams as commuters have turned to taxis and personal vehicles to move throughout the countries.

Government officials have been calling on the companies and the unions to reach some kind of agreement to get the trains moving again. It is possible, according to inside sources that the European Union officials could intervene on the talks and force a settlement if the situation is not resolved.

According to reports, the London-Paris lines are the only trains currently moving at this point. They are part of a different rail company who has already ratified a contract with workers.