Following last Tuesday’s strike at Merksplas prison due to the rising number of violent incidents, three new cases of assault have occurred, according to the prison’s unified labour front.
"The staff feel more abandoned than ever," unions said.
The prison in Merksplas, in the province of Antwerp, has capacity for 406 male inmates. Unions have called for action to address the problem of assaults at the prison, including demands for more staff and resources to conduct searches for drugs and other prohibited items.
The Christian unions ACV, socialist ACOD and liberal VSOA led a protest at the prison earlier this week, against the normalisation of verbal and physical attacks within the prison walls.
Unions have now reported that three staff members were injured in recent attacks. In two cases, the violence was committed by an inmate, while the third case involved a detainee under psychiatric care.
The prison administration has responded to the concerns raised during the strike, but unions say the response "offers no solution and is more a justification of current policies".
The unions argue that staff cannot work under inhumane conditions and are ready to undertake further strike actions.
"It is true that the living conditions for prisoners are far from ideal, but the staff work under the same conditions," they emphasise.
"Staff work in facilities in the same state as the cells where prisoners are held. For years, we have been highlighting this issue, but year after year, we see the renovation of Merksplas prison being postponed further," they add.
