A-Infos (en) UK, ACG: Wave of general strikes throughout Europe (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

November and December saw a series of general strikes throughout Europe, 
in Italy, Belgium, and Portugal. ---- Belgium - In Belgium, there was a 
national public transport strike on November 24th, the following day a 
public sector strike, involving administration, health services, the 
post and education, and on November 26th a massive general strike. Both 
airports at Brussels and Liège were shut down, as was the Volvo factory 
at Ghent. These strikes are in response to the austerity measures by the 
governing right-wing New Flemish Alliance (NVA), led by Bart de Wever, 
which threatens pension cuts, the end of a wages index on inflation, and 
the cutting of benefits including unemployment insurance. At the same 
time the NVA spent EUR1 billion on providing arms to Ukraine and raising 
military spending by EUR4 billion.

The strike was successful throughout the three regions of Belgium- 
Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels, and was the biggest strike action in 
40 years.

Italy

The Italian base unions, those controlled by the rank and file, Unione 
Sindacale di Base (USB, Union of Base Unions) and the Confederazione 
Unitaria di Base (CUB, United Confederation of the Base), Confederazione 
dei Comitati di Base (COBAS,Confederation of Base Committees) and 
Sindacato Generale di Base (SGB- General Union of the Base) went out on 
strike on November 28th.  Tens of thousands came out on strike, 
involving workers in health services, rducation, transport and 
administration, with a 24 hour rail strike and the cancellation of 26 
flights. However, the mainstream union, the General Confederation of 
Italian Labor (CGIL), refused to join in this action, choosing instead 
to strike on December 12th bringing out a half million workers. This was 
an outright act of sabotage against working class unity.There were 50 
demonstrations throughout Italy, with a turnout of  100,000 on the one 
in Florence. Again , these strikes were in opposition to austerity 
measures brought in by the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni, 
as well as her plans to raise military spending to 5% of Gross Domestic 
Product.

Portugal

In Portugal, a nationwide strike  took place on December 11th against 
the decision by the right-wing government of Luis Montenegro and his 
Democratic Alliance (AD), supported by the far right party Chiega, to 
scrap laws protecting workers from redundancies, maternity benefits, the 
opening of increased control by the bosses over work hours and 
outsourcing, It includes easier dismissals, expanded employer control 
over working hours and outsourcing, weakened collective bargaining, and 
attacks on maternity protections. These moves will attack what was left 
of the measures introduced during the 1974 Revolution in Portugal. The 
government also seeks to broaden minimum service obligations during 
strikes, extending them to more sectors and further limiting their 
impact. At the same time the Montenegro regime is increasing military 
spending by  EUR1 billion.

The general strike was massive, involving three million workers and 
closing down the railways and the metro in Lisbon. There was widespread 
strike action in the health services, in schools, among municipal and 
postal workers, and in administration. Rubbish collections were 
massively halted, and sanitation and water treatment was drastically 
effected.

There was widespread disruption at the airports, whilst all 17 major 
fishing ports were shut down. An important factor in the strike was the 
significant number of private sector workers who took part. This 
effected insurance, banking, communications, and the cultural sector, as 
well as logistics, with lorry drivers joining in. The big Volkswagen 
plant also suffered severe disruption.

In Parliament Square in Lisbon cops fired rubber bullets at 
demonstrators and arrested six.

These strikes show the increasing anger of the working class in Europe, 
in response to the austerity measures and increased military spending. 
Coupled with the Block Everything actions in France on September 10th 
and a million strong strike there the following week, the strike and 
occupations in Italy on September 22nd, and the continuing unrest in 
Serbia and Croatia, as well as the Z Generation uprisings in Nepal, 
Indonesia and Madagascar, this shows that resistance is growing to the 
plans of the boss class internationally, with their corruption, 
swingeing austerity measures, and increased militarisation.

Resistance is Fertile!

P.S. Greek railworkers came out on a 24 hour strike on November 18th. 
This was in response to layoffs over recent years, bullying behaviour by 
management, delays on routes, lack of maintenance, staff shortages and 
poor working conditions. The strike was effective on both national and 
suburban lines.

Workers demand full staffing and direct recruitment, repairs and 
modernisation of equipment and engine rooms, action to reduce delays, 
job protection, reinstatement of sacked workers, and improved hygiene at 
stations.

https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2025/12/16/wave-of-general-strikes-throughout-europe/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Subscribe/Unsubscribe https://ainfos.ca/mailman/listinfo/a-infos-en
Archive: http://ainfos.ca/en