Unions in Poland and Belgium threaten strikes over pay, safety and job cuts

Labor strikes and protest threats over workplace conditions and policy disputes spread across Europe on Thursday, as unions in Poland and Belgium escalated demands for fair pay and safety.
In Poland, two unions at the KWB Bełchatów coal mine—Międzyzakładowy Związek Zawodowy Odkrywka and Sierpień 80—gave management until Oct. 1 to meet demands, including halting job cuts, stopping the transfer of departments to a competence center, and abandoning plans to split mines and power plants into separate companies. The unions warned of collective disputes and protests if their conditions are not met, citing risks to workplace safety and energy system stability. They also demanded a one-time bonus of at least 2,500 zł brutto per employee by December 2026 for exceeding coal production targets .
In Belgium, police unions CSC, SLFP, and SNSP filed a joint strike notice, protesting the government’s refusal to address security risks tied to counter-narcotics operations. Alain Peeters of ACV Politie-CSC Police said officers are being deployed without adequate federal-level risk assessments, calling the situation “unacceptable and dangerous.” The strike notice covers Oct. 3–15, targeting federal police units involved in anti-narcotics work .
Separately, the CGSP union filed its own strike notice for police and immigration services, effective Oct. 9–Dec. 31, opposing the government’s cost-cutting measures .
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