On the one hand, there are the trade unions. The working people did not cause the crisis, they say, why should they be the ones to pay for it? Demanding that people should retire later, as the government has, is a breach of contract. Some people who were close to their pensions at 55 or 58, now find themselves obliged to work till the age of 65. At the same time, people over 50 find it hard to secure any employment at all. They only stand to lose money. Budgetary measures should hit the wealthy, rather than workers, the unions say, and the unions’ numbers are their weapon. Moreover, as strikes hit crucial services such as public transport particularly hard, they can make everyone listen to their message.

On the other hand, there are the employers. They did not cause this crisis either. Budget cuts are unavoidable; they even hit companies more than employees, they say. As per usual, they defend the “right to work”, as opposed to the “right to strike”. People who want to work should not be stopped by roadblocks.

What’s new is that the employers have the support of the younger generation. They, too, did not cause the crisis, but – having heard this message for all of their adult lives – they accept that working longer is unavoidable. You had better accept it too, they say to the unions and to older employees, because you are playing with our future. They fear that our social security might collapse because of the strain put on it by the baby boomers’ pensions. Their weapons? Newspaper opinion pages, Twitter and Facebook.

The younger crowd accuses the strikers of being spoiled, irresponsible and old fashioned. The strikers see the younger generation as a cappuccino-drinking crowd, estranged from the social struggle that has made their lifestyles possible.

The divide is unusual, as Belgium has a tradition of social cooperation: Employers and unions draw out common solutions without much public confrontation. Maybe, CD&V president Wouter Beke says, the government has moved too fast with its pension plans. But this time, under European and market pressure, there aren’t 500 days to lose.