BRUSSELS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At the behest of three Belgian trade unions, crowds of more than 55,000 people descended into the streets of the Belgian capital on Wednesday to protest the government's latest round of reforms.
The figure could be as high as 70,000 people, according to some union spokespeople.
The protests took place without any incident of violence, Brussels police reported.
Equipped with firecrackers, and bearing signs and placards inscribed with words such as "Justice for pensioners", the protesters took off from the city's northern train station (Gare du Nord) around 11:00 a.m. local time.
There are numerous reasons why trade unions are unhappy with the federal government's reforms. First, they have still not come to terms with the decision to raise the retirement age to 67, and have pleaded for a restoration of the former age limit of 65.
They also demand higher pensions, given that the average pension in Belgium is one of the lowest in Europe.
Several events were organized around Brussels in support of the protests. For example, protesters threw paper planes in front of the finance tower as a way of symbolizing "the rights of workers who fly," according to the Belgian newspaper La Libre.
During the march, the unions denounced the points pension scheme, a program the protesters claim will "generate uncertainty" for workers, and "increase pauperization" of pensioners, Belgian newspaper L'Avenir reported.
"We want a pension system worthy and sufficient to live, and not work more to earn less," said Marie-Helene Ska, general secretary of the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (CSC).
"Wednesday's mobilization is also proof of the determination of a movement that will not falter," said Robert Vertenueil, secretary general of the General Labour Federation of Belgium (FGTB).
"The government must not remain with deaf ears, otherwise it will deepen the chasm between the political world and the citizens," he said.
A number of public institutions were affected by the protests, including schools where over 10,000 teachers took the day off to join the march across the city.
Other public sectors experienced disruptions throughout the day, including major public transport groups like De Lijn and TEC, as well as national post office company Bpost.
