Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “Accessible high quality public services for all play a key role for inclusive societies and social cohesion and justice. It is especially the less advantaged people that need them because they cannot afford private services. Even senior staff of the IMF – in past often a keen supporter of cuts in public budgets – recently concluded that severe cuts in public services bring about prominent costs in terms of increased social and economic inequalities – and that this hurts the level and sustainability of economic growth at large. It is high time that authorities and governments across Europe – including in Belgium – rethink their restrictions on their investments in public services.”

He added: “Cuts in public services in Belgium have been accompanied by cuts in public sector staff, wage freezes and restructuring processes. Employment conditions have in this process deteriorated both financially and in terms of work intensity. This affects all sectors – from transport to healthcare, education and administrations. If public services are to deliver, its employees must be enabled to do quality work. The Belgian, Flemish and Walloon governments and authorities must return to revamped financial resources, higher staff levels and better working conditions in the public sector. CESI fully supports the action taken today by Belgian public sector workers.”

For the reference to the IMF source, follow this link.