Global General

Thousands protest EU reform package

By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-25 08:37

Nearly 20,000 people protested near the EU headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday against an austerity economic reform package. [Fu Jing / China Daily]

BRUSSELS - Thousands of workers on Thursday flooded from various directions to the European Union headquarters to protest against an austerity economic reform package.

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But they were stopped about 300 meters away from the EU office headquarters, where EU and member state leaders are giving final approval to the package, discussing the crisis in Japan and air strikes in Libya.

"We understand the government and the EU's situation because of the (financial and debt) crisis," Arnaud Leveque, of General Labor Federation of Belgian, told China Daily outside the EU headquarters.

However, his federation, which represents 1.3 million workers, doesn't agree that the EU should stop a mechanism which allows the salary of workers to increase automatically in line with the rising cost of living. "If governments do so, many workers' quality of life will be affected by the trend of high inflation," Leveque said, adding that his salary is about 2,000 euros ($2822) a month but the medium-level monthly salary in Belgium is 1,500 to 1,600 euros.

"That amount is just enough for earning a living for a family in Belgium, but life will get harder if costs increase."

Thursday's demonstration lasted until the mid-afternoon, and the crowds were quite agitated. When the barricades and heavily equipped police prevented them from marching further, some demonstrators threw eggs at the windows of EU institution buildings along the streets, chanting, "No pension cut, no salary cut".

From time to time, some protestors have cast stones, bricks and fired fireworks into the dense crowds. "This is too dangerous," a protestor said.

Hundreds of police on Thursday were mobilized to put special measures in place to create an extended security cordon around the EU headquarters. And the metro stations near the headquarters were closed.

"We have many demonstrations here every year, but today is unusual," a police official said.

While the demonstrations were being held, the heads of state and government from the 27 EU members were traveling to Brussels for what will be the third European Council meeting this year.

The two-day summit started on Thursday afternoon. The leaders are expected to adopt a series of measures designed to strengthen the coordination of economic policies, especially among countries that use the euro.

The EU leaders are also expected to discuss the unrest in Libya and other African countries and assistance for Japan is also in agenda. Eurozone nations are expected to sign off on an economic pact that will see governments coordinate their economies more closely to boost competitiveness.