Some 14,000 workers in non-business sectors such as healthcare and social welfare took part on Tuesday (March 21) in an anti-austerity march across Brussels, calling for better working conditions.
The march is the latest in a series of protests that have taken place since a coalition government made up of centre-right and Flemish nationalists took office in Belgium.
Workers dressed in the green, blue or red outfits of their respective unions and marched across the city from the north to the centre.
Unions called for job creation in their sector, as well as salary increases and better working conditions, especially for workers approaching retirement age.
Demonstrators told Reuters Television that more people were needed in the health sector as there was more and more work to do but fewer people working.
In July, the government said it planned to allow a working week of up to 45 hours for limited periods, a move unions said would weaken workers' rights. The maximum now is 38 hours.
The government is also considering skipping a round of automatic wage hikes for a second time to make Belgium more competitive. The country, along with neighbour Luxembourg, operates a system whereby wages are automatically increased in line with inflation.
Police said the demonstration caused traffic jams across the city but added no violence took place.
