BELGIUM ON STRIKE AHEAD OF EU SUMMIT
BRUSSELS, Jan 30, 2012 (AFP) - Belgium was in chaos on Monday, just hours before an EU summit, with transport and other public services halted by a national strike called by unions in protest at Eu-ordered austerity measures.
It is the first such general strike in Belgium since 2005 and the first since 1993 launched jointly by the country's three main unions, which are angry over public spending cuts of more than 12 billion euros ($15 billion) for 2012.
Belgian rail workers began their industrial action late on Sunday, with the first trains stopping around 9:00 pm (2000 GMT).
High-speed inter national services on Eurostar and Thalys and inter-city Belgian trains were also all halted on Monday, and no buses, trams or metro trains were running.
At Brussels aiport, several flights were cancelled and others delayed, while Charleroi air port -a key low-cost hub in the south of the country -- was closed. Postal workers and staf f at the port of Anvers, one of the biggest in Europe, also downed tool.
Strikers were also planning blockades on Belgian roads.
The Belgian government has had to ar range fallback emergency access via a military air port for European Union leaders ar riving for the summit, which opens at 1400 GMT.
Staff working in the summit venue in Brussels were war ned they might have to tur n up before 5:30 am to escape picket lines.