Belgian 24 hour train strike affects Eurostar

For travel disruption goes beyond the trains. British Airways has cancelled all of its flights to/from Brussels on 8 December already, as there is uncertainty to what extent the airport will be operating. It has put on an extra plane today and will be using larger than usual planes today & Tuesday. A similar approach might be expected for the following week.

Brussels Airlines has not cancelled London flights but has to various other UK airports. It has advises hand baggage only.

Not sure how the train system works now, but my first europe trip included a last minute rail trip to Amsterdam from Paris.
On the train rumors came to say a strike was happening ahead of us and we'd be stopped at least a day. I traveled that day with young US college types backpacking europe, while I was then, a middle 50's new traveler with Eagle Creek backpack not really broken in. We all wondered "what's next"? An older passenger in the compartment, a Dutch business type with excellent english, spoke up and said not to worry. Wait and see what happens when the train does stop at the appointed hour. Well the train did stop at an ancient station which appeared left over from the 1890's. The belgian crew left the train, we looked at each other and the dutch businessman again said not to worry, just to get off the train and wait a bit and see. In 15 minutes or so a train from the Dutch rail service arrived, bright in livery colors pulled up, opened it's car doors, and we followed the businessman into the dutch train. "See, our people do not abandon travelers headed to our country," he pointed out as we sat down in the dutch train compartment and went smoothly on to Amsterdam. There were ways around strikes then and maybe there still are? Wait and see.

Yes, I've experienced strikes like that too. Venice and Milano.

The one tomorrow and next week is different though. It is a national strike. Everything.

Being optimistic and "just waiting" may not help. No fire trucks, no trains, no police, no buses, no ships, no Métro, no garbage, no teachers, no taxis.

Everything is on strike.

Strikes are typically announced in advance, as this one was. Railway companies attempt to describe the scope of the problems, especially online, such as the Eurostar quote above from their web site and in French or Dutch from Belgian rail.

This strike is particularly comprehensive. In some better-case scenarios, seen in recent strikes in Italy or France, for example, a certain minimum amount of "essential service" is preserved along the main train lines.