Normal operations resumed in Belgian prisons on Saturday after a 24-hour strike over chronic overcrowding ended, prison authorities said.
The strike ended at 6:00 on Saturday after unions had called on staff at prisons across Belgium to stop work for 24 hours.
The unions said the action was intended to highlight persistent overcrowding, which has left hundreds of inmates sleeping on the floor.
They said overcrowding was increasing pressure on prison officers and fuelling frustration among prisoners, leading to more aggression.
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During the strike, staff had to be requisitioned at several prisons to guarantee minimum service levels, the prison administration said on Friday.
Requisitions were mainly needed in prisons in Flanders and at Haren prison in the Brussels-Capital Region. According to the administration, this was less often necessary in Wallonia.
By Saturday, prison operations had returned to normal. “Normal operations have resumed,” prison service spokeswoman Kathleen Van De Vijver said.
The disruption was limited to the 24-hour strike, she added.
Earlier this month, prison officers had already staged a five-day strike.
