Belgian chaos: Train, prison strikes continue, more to come

BRUSSELS – A wildcat train strike paralyzed large swathes of the Belgian rail network for the second day in a row, snarling traffic in the capital and raising fears of more labour unrest to come.

No trains were running in the southern part of the nation Friday and service was limited in the capital and the northern parts after francophone unions from the south walked out to protest possible changes in the time schedule that would have them working more hours.

Trade unions have already raised the prospect of an official train strike next Tuesday too.

At the same time, a strike of prison personnel, closing in on its first month, is continuing in many detention centres. The government and unions say they are close to finding a compromise.