Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Brussels as part of a national strike over government reforms and spending cuts that has brought flights to a halt and severely disrupted public transport. Belgium's three big unions are protesting over pensions and other measures by Prime Minister Bart de Wever's centre-right government aimed at cutting the budget deficit. There were no services at Belgium's second biggest airport at Charleroi, and all departures and many of the arrivals were cancelled at Brussels Airport. Although trains were running, most buses, trams and underground trains in the capital ground to a halt. Shipping at Europe's second biggest port Antwerp was suspended due to understaffing, with over 100 ships waiting in the North Sea for permission to dock. By midday, police reported approximately 80,000 protesters had joined the demonstration in the capital. Public sector workers are objecting to austerity measures from a government increasingly perceived as leaning right. The government's proposal to increase the required workdays for pensions and limit unemployment benefits have also been contentious points. Demonstrators expressed concerns over their future and the implications of such reforms on the younger generation.