Brussels firefighters’ unions have suspended their strike after reaching an agreement with the Brussels government on staffing shortages and underfunding, pending approval by union members.
The joint union front announced the deal on Saturday, according to the Christian trade union ACV. Industrial action has been put on hold while the unions consult their members.
The main measures focus on increasing staff numbers. New recruitment campaigns are due to be launched as quickly as possible.
Most of the impact is expected to be felt in 2027, although additional staff should already be hired in 2026.
A key demand from employees was that new recruits should be able to move quickly into an on-call system. Recruitment reserves would also be created to allow faster replacements in future.
According to the unions, these steps should strengthen staffing levels in a structural way and ease pressure on existing crews.
Under the proposal, the full €10 million in federal funding earmarked for Brussels firefighters would be transferred. More than €8 million of that amount would go towards reinforcing operational teams and the 112 emergency call centre.
A further €2 million would be allocated to infrastructure works. Staff representatives said they had received guarantees that the money would genuinely be used to increase workforce numbers.
The agreement also provides for stronger staffing at the 112 emergency centre and the full preservation of pay scales and statutory employment conditions for operational staff.
“The difficulties expressed in recent days were real and deserved to be heard,” said Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès. He said the government had responded by using all available room for manoeuvre despite the well-known budgetary constraints.
Dilliès welcomed the agreement as a responsible outcome and said the priority now was to strengthen the Brussels fire service on a lasting basis, improve working conditions and guarantee public safety.
Firefighters had been taking action since 21 July over chronic staff shortages and a heavy workload. The new proposal appears to address the main concerns raised by staff, although a final decision still depends on approval by union members.
The unions will now present the proposal to their members. Only after that consultation will it become clear whether the strike action is ended for good or will resume.
