Prison workers across Brussels and Flanders conducted a 24-hour strike to protest against severe overcrowding and escalating violence within penitentiaries. The unions have long highlighted the dangers of overcrowding, which has led to inhumane living conditions for inmates and increased aggression towards staff. Despite repeated calls for additional facilities and specialized cells to manage violent offenders, the government's response has been inadequate, leaving workers and inmates in precarious situations. This strike underscores the urgent need for systemic reforms to ensure safe and humane conditions within Belgium's prison system. The unions are calling for immediate action to address these issues and to prevent further deterioration of working and living conditions in prisons.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.