Mass action against rising prices takes place in Brussels

BRUSSELS, September 21 — PRIME. On Wednesday, thousands of Belgians took to the streets of Brussels to demand higher wages and lower energy tariffs, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.

The action was organized by the Belgian trade unions and gathered, according to the police, more than 10 thousand people.

The head of the Confederation of Belgian Trade Unions, Thierry Bodson, said that energy bills for the average Belgian family have tripled in recent months to reach 700 euros a month.

“Everyone’s already wasted their money. It’s not that we don’t want to pay, we can’t pay,” Bodson said as he entered the stage at Place Monet in central Brussels. According to him, appeals to citizens to save on energy do not make sense, since everyone has already taken the measures that they could take.

Earlier, EU authorities urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption and heat their homes less.

The protesters criticized the emergency measures of the government, which has already spent more than 6 billion euros, but has not achieved price stabilization. According to trade unionists, the authorities should look for money where it is – from energy companies that are making super profits against the backdrop of falling living standards.

The campaign also takes place in other cities of Belgium. It was conceived as a warning to the authorities before the general strike scheduled for November 9th.

According to surveys conducted in early September, 64% of Belgians fear they will not be able to pay their energy bills in the coming months. Eight out of ten respondents reported that they had already reduced the consumption of electricity, gas, and fuel for heating houses.

In addition, about 40% of Belgians admitted that they were forced to use their savings or even borrow funds to pay their bills. One in three Belgians surveyed reported a reduction in health spending due to high energy prices.