Belgium hit by national strike

Passengers are having to cope with a national strike in Belgium with planes, trains and buses all hit by a stoppage over the new government’s austerity policies.

The strike is affecting Brussels, tourist spots such as Bruges and the ports of Antwerp and Ostend.

The government wants to save 11 billion euros over five years and plans to scrap a usually automatic cost-of-living raise and is introducing public sector cutbacks along with raising the retirement age from 65 to 67 from 2030.