EU officials warned over union protest

Disruption expected during next week’s ‘day of action’.

Officials working in the EU institutions in Brussels have been warned to expect serious disruption to their work on 29 September when trade unions will stage a ‘European Day of Action’ against austerity measures introduced by national governments.

The trade unions are predicting that 80,000 will attend the demonstrations in Brussels, which are to culminate in a rally in the Parc du Cinquantenaire between 3pm and 4pm.

The rally, which takes place the day before a meeting of EU finance ministers, will be preceded by a march from the Midi station to the park, beginning at 1pm. The route of the march goes through the heart of the European quarter, along rue Belliard, avenue d’Auderghem and over the Schuman roundabout.

The European Commission’s security service has warned staff that access to Commission buildings might be temporarily refused or made subject to additional controls because of the event. An exit from the underground car-park of the Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters will be closed.

The security service warned staff to expect severe traffic disruption during the day and said public transport was likely to be disrupted.

Barroso meeting

The demonstrators will include union representatives drawn from across Europe as the day of action has been organised by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

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After the rally, a delegation from ETUC will meet José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, and Yves Leterme, the prime minister of Belgium, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU’s Council of Ministers.

Several of the EU’s own staff unions have urged officials to join the demonstration.

The demonstrators will be calling for the introduction of taxes on financial transactions to fund public investments.

On the same day, there will be a general strike in Spain, and demonstrations in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Serbia.