Liège (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – TEC reported that spontaneous outings began on Saturday morning at depots in Robermont, Jemeppe, Rocourt, Eupen, and Stembert, which are located within the province of Liège. These walkouts emerged after staff encountered an assault from both a driver and two inspectors.
Multiple strikes happened without warning on Saturday morning at TEC depots throughout Liège province, where Robermont, Jemeppe, Rocourt, Eupen, and Stembert joined the walkout because of an assault on drivers and inspectors.
Operations at the significant TEC depots came to a stop, which caused buses to stop running on 89 out of 204 scheduled lines serving the region.
The strike began on Friday evening when a driver pressed the emergency brake, and this action led inspectors to intervene. Multiple people launched an attack on the driver, which resulted in injuries to his person, along with one inspector and severe distress to another. The supposed leader of the assault was arrested by police while medical teams treated all three victims at hospitals.
“At around 17:20 yesterday, a driver had to apply an emergency brake. Two inspectors were present to help coordinate the situation. Suddenly, several individuals attacked the driver, hitting him. The inspectors managed to secure the driver, but one of them was also hit and the other is deeply shocked,”
said Isabelle Tasset, spokesperson for TEC Liège-Verviers.
“The police intervened and arrested the leader of the assault.”
The three victims were taken to the hospital for necessary treatment.
“TEC understands the emotional reaction caused by yesterday’s assault on our staff. No assault on our personnel can be tolerated. However, TEC regrets the unannounced nature of this action, which is impacting our customers. A meeting is ongoing between management and trade unions,”
the spokesperson continued.
What is the background of rising violence against TEC staff?
TEC Liège reported 47 physical assaults against their employees who drive or inspect vehicles during 2024, showing a 22% increase from the total 2023 incidents. The industry has confronted safety problems for a long time, so societal restrictions have been established. The Penal Code of Wallonia adopted a double penalty structure throughout 2024. The bus services of TEC Liège reach 200,000 daily customers with their 204 transportation routes across the province.
The combination of employee worker shortages with elevated work-related stress created worse friction between workers and management. Public transport has experienced continuous labor conflicts, as demonstrated in prior stops such as the 2010 budget reduction strike.
Aggressive behavior against passengers and personnel has been escalating after this recent incident, creating worries about their safety. Minister François Desquesnes promised new security measures such as increased police presence and driver protection technology; however, unions pressure him to speed up protective measures to stop additional attacks.
