Belgian general strike of 1960–1961

The general strike was instigated by the militant trade union, the General Labour Federation of Belgium (Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique, or FGTB; Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond, ABVV), against an attempt by the government of Gaston Eyskens to improve the state of Belgium's public finances after the independence of the Belgian Congo by introducing a series of austerity measures known as the Unitary Law (Loi Unique or Eenheidswet).

It has been described as "one of the most serious class confrontations in Belgium's social history", which brought out 700,000 workers out on strike.

Although the strike began across Belgium, it soon lost momentum in Flanders where workers returned to work after a few days.

The strike continued in Wallonia, a region largely reliant on heavy industry and already starting to experience deindustrialization, for several weeks.

The strike also led to the creation of the pro-federalist Walloon Popular Movement (Mouvement Populaire Wallon, MPW) in 1961 and an increasing polarization between Flemish and Walloons which culminated, from the late 1960s, in the "Linguistic Wars" and, ultimately, in Belgium's gradual transformation into a federal state.