Belgian unions demonstrate in Brussels to demand better worker protection

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s trade unions are mounting a major demonstration to protest what they see as increasingly bad working conditions and the erosion of their right to strike. Labor action has already paralyzed subway and other traffic in Brussels, and the protests could affect anything from day care centers to garbage collection. The trade unions are specifically irked by companies that seek to impose new contracts on their workers that impact their social rights, affect their working conditions and cut their pay. They cite the decision by the Delhaize supermarket chain to change the store management setup, which has directly cut into the income and rights of staff.