TEC unions maintain two-day strike across Wallonia
TEC unions maintained their strike notice on Tuesday, leaving bus, tram and metro services across Wallonia facing major disruption on 27 and 28 August after talks failed to settle a dispute over employee eco-vouchers.
A two-day network-wide stoppage threatens journeys during the first week of the French-speaking school year. People without access to a car, especially pupils, shift workers and residents of less-connected areas, have few practical substitutes.
Updated 25 August 2026, 18:00 CEST — . The joint trade-union front representing employees maintained its strike notice on Tuesday for Thursday 27 and Friday 28 August, confirming the prospect of disruption across the Walloon public-transport network. RTBF reported that the decision followed another meeting between unions and management that failed to produce an agreement.
The action covers the entire network, including buses across , the tram and light metro services. The extent of cancellations will depend on staff participation and will vary by operating area. TEC had not published a definitive route-by-route service plan at the time of this update, so passengers cannot assume that their usual journey will run.
The immediate dispute concerns the renewal of annual eco-vouchers worth €100 for employees. According to RTBF and La Libre, the unions want the benefit retained, while management has linked its position to anticipated federal changes affecting eco-vouchers. The precise federal rules cited in the talks have not yet been published in the Belgian Official Gazette, according to the reporting available on Tuesday.
The strike notice follows an unsuccessful regional conciliation meeting on 5 August, the said in a mobility advisory corroborating the dates and network-wide scope. L’Echo reported on 21 August that the unions had formally announced action for both days. The joint front comprises the CGSP, CSC public-services wing and Synova, according to Belgian media reports.
The timing increases the practical impact. French-speaking schools reopened on 24 August, placing the stoppage in the first week of the new school year. Pupils, parents, commuters and people relying on buses to reach healthcare or public services face the greatest disruption, particularly where no rail service or realistic alternative exists. The has asked members of its community to arrange shared journeys where possible.
The dispute also sits within a longer period of difficult labour relations at . Earlier action in 2026 centred on planned savings and revisions to the operator’s public-service contract. Those broader disagreements form the backdrop, but the confirmed trigger for this week’s notice is the unresolved eco-voucher issue.
Passengers should check the website and app shortly before departure and prepare another route where possible. The principal unknowns are how many employees will join the strike, which individual journeys will operate and whether further talks before Thursday can narrow the disruption.
Impact
Regional — Disruption is expected throughout Wallonia, although the number of operating services will differ among Brabant Wallon, Charleroi, Hainaut, Liège-Verviers and Namur-Luxembourg.
Local — Liège and Charleroi have specific urban services at risk: the Liège tram and the Charleroi light metro, alongside local buses. University of Liège passengers should check campus and student-service transport notices before travelling on 27 or 28 August. Service levels may differ across Brabant Wallon, Charleroi, Hainaut, Liège-Verviers and Namur-Luxembourg because cancellations depend on staff participation, so disruption will not necessarily be uniform across Wallonia.
What it means for you
Anyone planning to use TEC on Thursday 27 or Friday 28 August should check the operator’s latest service information shortly before departure and allow extra travel time. Do not assume that a normally scheduled bus, Liège tram or Charleroi light-metro service will run: exact cancellations were not final at publication. Pupils, parents, shift workers and people travelling to University of Liège sites should arrange alternatives where possible. Travellers connecting from Brussels or elsewhere in Belgium should separately verify the Walloon leg of their journey, as the strike applies specifically to TEC services.
Opposing perspectives
- TEC joint trade-union front
The CGSP, CSC Public Services and Synova representatives seek the continued award of the €100 annual eco-vouchers and maintained the strike notice after the conciliation process and subsequent talks produced no settlement.
- TEC management position
Management has linked its refusal to renew the benefit under the previous arrangement to anticipated federal changes concerning eco-vouchers. Its complete written position and any replacement proposal were not publicly available.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
The Belgian region across which TEC services face disruption.
Walloon city whose tram and bus services are exposed to the strike.
Walloon city whose light-metro and bus services are exposed to the strike.
One of the TEC operating areas where service levels may be affected.
One of the TEC operating areas where service levels may be affected.
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The Belgian region across which TEC services face disruption.
Walloon city whose tram and bus services are exposed to the strike.
Walloon city whose light-metro and bus services are exposed to the strike.
One of the TEC operating areas where service levels may be affected.
One of the TEC operating areas where service levels may be affected.
One of the TEC operating areas where service levels may be affected.
One of the TEC operating areas where service levels may be affected.
Planned two-day network-wide industrial action.
Negotiation meeting that ended without resolving the dispute.
The public-facing Walloon transport network affected by the two-day strike.
The operator responsible for the TEC network in Wallonia.
University providing transport-disruption information to its campus community.
TEC-operated urban rail service facing possible disruption.
TEC-operated urban transport service facing possible disruption.
Annual employee benefit worth €100 at the centre of the dispute.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceRTBFPrimaryprimary· news.google.com· 25 August 2026Retrieved 25 August 2026· 38 days ago· Dated
- View sourceL'Echocorroborating· news.google.com· 21 August 2026Retrieved 25 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceLa Librecorroborating· lalibre.be· 21 August 2026Retrieved 25 August 2026· 42 days ago· Dated
- View sourceUniversity of Liègeofficial· campus.uliege.be· 19 August 2026Retrieved 25 August 2026· 44 days ago· Dated
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.