Port of Antwerp

Strikes taking place across Belgium have today hit transport links throughout the country, as unions protest against a perceived lack of government action over rising transport costs.

The Port of Antwerp was faced with restricted access as picketing took place outside, although workers at the port itself did not join in with the protests, spokeswoman Annick Dirkx told Reuters.

Motorways in the country were backed up with more than 300km of traffic jams on Monday morning, Reuters said, with international rail services to the likes of France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK all cancelled.

Rail services in and out of Belgium were suspended or cancelled, tram services were cancelled and public transport running at a minimum, transport company STIB said.

Unions are urging the government to ease the impact of inflation on the transport industry when it presents its 2009 budget to parliament on 14 October.