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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />Workers dressed in the green, blue or red outfits of their respective unions and marched across the city from the north to the centre. <br /> <br />Unions called for job creation in their sector, as well as salary increases and better working conditions, especially for workers approaching retirement age. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />Police said the demonstration caused traffic jams across the city but added no violence took place.
