Spontaneous strikes in Antwerp and Brussels: “Minister Van Tigchelt has blown up the bridges”

Spontaneous strikes have arisen in various prisons due to dissatisfaction with the staff shortage. The consultation with Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt could not calm emotions.

Spontaneous strikes are ongoing in the Antwerp prison and a dozen other penitentiary institutions in Flanders and Brussels until Friday morning at 6 am. Certainly in Antwerp, but also in most other prisons, the walk and visit cannot take place, says federal secretary Eddy De Smedt of the liberal trade union VSOA.

The fact that the minister once again emphasized the minimum level of service and “claiming on the day of the strike itself” did not go down well with the unions, says De Smedt.

According to Alain Blancke, national representative of the Christian ACV, spontaneous actions are currently taking place in eleven prisons, namely Leuven Central, Ghent, Antwerp, Hasselt, Haren, Sint-Gillis, Merksplas, Wortel, Mechelen, Turnhout and Bruges. Certainly in Antwerp, but also in most other prisons, this means no walks and no visitors for the detainees, according to De Smedt. “The strike ends at 6am on Friday (when the morning shift starts, ed.).”

Consultations took place on Thursday morning between the unions and the Minister of Justice. The unions left the negotiating table when the minister said he would demand minimum services. “The minister has blown up the bridges,” said federal secretary Eddy De Smedt of the liberal trade union VSOA after the meeting. According to the unions, the minister’s measures were insufficient to tackle overcrowding in Belgian prisons.

The unions activated their strike notice. The strike will start on Monday April 1 at 10 p.m. for an indefinite period. The fact that the minister decided that staff can be requisitioned from the first day of the strike is “muzzling the staff”, criticized Robby De Kaey of ACOD.

Since a detainee was tortured for days in the detention center in Antwerp almost two weeks ago, Minister Van Tigchelt has been under fire.