It was already in the air after the announcement of the overcrowding figures in Belgian prisons, but now it is official: there will be a 24-hour strike in the prisons, starting from March 14.
The unions have submitted a strike notice for a 24-hour strike in Belgian prisons from March 14 at 10 p.m. ACV Public Services – Justice reported this in a press release on Saturday.
With this new action, the unions want to once again raise the issue of overcrowding in Belgian prisons. ACV refers to “the lack of adequate measures” to immediately reduce the population in prisons. “Safety in penitentiary institutions can no longer be guaranteed.”
The unions also demand that Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt be present at the consultation that should take place regarding the strike notice.
On March 1, there were 12,316 detainees in Belgian prisons for 10,743 places. These are more places than the year before, but despite the extra capacity, there is still 15 percent overcrowding. 250 detainees sleep on mattresses on the floor, Justice reported on March 1, even though more than 281 additional beds have been installed in the prisons. On Saturday it was announced that Hasselt prison is not accepting new detainees due to overcrowding.
In January there was a 24-hour strike in Belgian prisons. In February there was a week of action in Flanders, with strikes per prison.
