Public-sector workers strike in Belgium, transport disrupted

BRUSSELS – Public-sector employees are striking across Belgium, disrupting train and bus services as well as schools, prisons and mail delivery.

Belgium’s state railway said that domestic services in the country’s French-speaking south ground to a halt on Tuesday. Forty per cent of the trains in the Dutch-speaking north were still running.

A demonstration is planned by labour unions in Brussels later in the day. The unions are protesting austerity measures approved by the Belgian government, including an increase in the retirement age.

Eurostar said all its trains are still running between London and Brussels.

However, some international Thalys trains between Paris and Brussels have been cancelled. There will also be no Thalys service Tuesday to Germany or the Belgian city of Liege.