The Belgian Workers’ Party has condemned a series of overnight agreements reached by the Arizona government, saying they restrict freedom of association, undermine prison staff’s right to strike and weaken labour protections.
In a statement on Saturday, MP Peter Mertens said the measures showed the government wanted to suppress growing opposition to what he called its programme of social dismantling.
The party was particularly critical of the agreement on banning extremist organisations. It said the government was trying to silence critical associations through its own powers.
Mertens said that, after strong criticism from civil society groups and the Council of State, the final dissolution of an association would remain a matter for judges. However, he said the government still wanted the power to suspend associations’ activities temporarily.
The party also attacked the agreement on minimum service levels in prisons. PVDA said that, at a time of prison overcrowding, the government was choosing to silence staff instead of listening to the legitimate demands of workers who keep the prison system running.
On working time, the party said the annualisation of hours would allow employers to dictate workers’ lives. It rejected the government’s argument that the system would be based on employee consent, saying workers were often in no position to refuse.
According to PVDA, the changes would weaken labour rights and harm workers’ health, safety and private lives.
Mertens also dismissed the agreement on an import ban on goods from the occupied Palestinian territories as too little, too late. He said it was absurd to boycott only products from settlements in the occupied West Bank while, in his words, Israel was carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
He added that the government was once again quietly delaying recognition of Palestine and was leaving Palestinians with visas stranded in Gaza.
