Belgian unions demonstrate in Brussels to demand better worker protection

BRUSSELS (AP) — Almost 20,000 Belgian trade union workers mounted a major demonstration to protest what they see as increasingly bad working conditions and the erosion of their right to strike. Labor action paralyzed subway and other traffic in Brussels for most of the day. 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.