Belgium’s Walloon regional transport company TEC has formally confirmed that its drivers will strike from Monday 26 January to Friday 30 January, overlapping with the nationwide rail stoppage and threatening to paralyse mobility in the south of the country. (belganewsagency.eu)
Union leaders accuse the Walloon government of pushing austerity measures that include hiring freezes and route rationalisation. Management counters that rising wage costs and declining ridership require structural reform. Negotiations collapsed late on 22 January, triggering the strike confirmation two days later.
TEC’s walkout will eliminate most regional bus services, leaving many towns without public transport and cutting off feeders to rail hubs such as Charleroi-Sud and Namur. For posted workers and cross-border staff who rely on TEC to reach industrial zones near the French border, employers are scrambling to arrange shuttle vans that comply with cabotage and tachograph rules.
![Walloon Bus Operator TEC Confirms Full-Week Walkout, Compounding Mobility Chaos]()
Amid the uncertainty, international travelers who suddenly need to reroute, extend their stay, or secure transit visas can turn to VisaHQ for fast, online processing. The service’s Belgian portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) provides real-time guidance on Schengen entry requirements, extensions, and alternative documentation—an invaluable resource when strikes upend carefully laid plans.
The simultaneous action by rail and bus unions highlights Belgium’s fragmented transport governance, where federal and regional systems intersect. Mobility experts warn that the disruption could weigh on productivity just as companies finalise year-end tax filings that require physical document exchanges with local administrations.
Wallonia’s tourism sector fears last-minute cancellations at ski centres in the Ardennes, while hospitals have invoked emergency car-pooling plans to ensure staff attendance. TEC says it will post any guaranteed minimum services 24 hours in advance, but adds that depot blockades may prevent even those buses from leaving.
Union leaders accuse the Walloon government of pushing austerity measures that include hiring freezes and route rationalisation. Management counters that rising wage costs and declining ridership require structural reform. Negotiations collapsed late on 22 January, triggering the strike confirmation two days later.
TEC’s walkout will eliminate most regional bus services, leaving many towns without public transport and cutting off feeders to rail hubs such as Charleroi-Sud and Namur. For posted workers and cross-border staff who rely on TEC to reach industrial zones near the French border, employers are scrambling to arrange shuttle vans that comply with cabotage and tachograph rules.
Amid the uncertainty, international travelers who suddenly need to reroute, extend their stay, or secure transit visas can turn to VisaHQ for fast, online processing. The service’s Belgian portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) provides real-time guidance on Schengen entry requirements, extensions, and alternative documentation—an invaluable resource when strikes upend carefully laid plans.
The simultaneous action by rail and bus unions highlights Belgium’s fragmented transport governance, where federal and regional systems intersect. Mobility experts warn that the disruption could weigh on productivity just as companies finalise year-end tax filings that require physical document exchanges with local administrations.
Wallonia’s tourism sector fears last-minute cancellations at ski centres in the Ardennes, while hospitals have invoked emergency car-pooling plans to ensure staff attendance. TEC says it will post any guaranteed minimum services 24 hours in advance, but adds that depot blockades may prevent even those buses from leaving.
