Citing an 'explosive situation' among staff, the Fire and Emergency Medical Aid Service of the Brussels-Capital Region has filed a strike notice with the Belgian authorities. The strike is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 25 October.
In an open letter to Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort and Brussels Minister of Public Service Sven Gatz, Eric Labourdette, President of the SLFP union representing the city's firefighters, painted a harrowing picture of the latter's working conditions.
"Staff are on their knees," Labourdette said. "The events of recent years (attacks, Covid-19, floods, etc.) have caused traumas. Firefighters are facing an exponential increase in the number of calls, and this, while they are working in complicated or even violent conditions."
Labourdette added that employees come to work with fear, while some teams must be escorted by the police to do their job. Unions believe firefighters are working in a difficult working environment. "Some agents are burned out, others are resigning."
No empathy, no support
Labourdette also issued a scathing indictment of the city's authorities, whom he claimed "lack empathy." In particular, he denounced a lack of psychological and social support for staff, many of whom, he claimed, suffer from overworking and even, in some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“The Brussels government must find the funds to finally set up a support structure as well as a permanent recruitment campaign for staff,” Labourdette said.
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Labourdette was careful to stress that such harsh working conditions are by no means confined to the Belgian capital.
Across the country, Labourdette claimed, the problems faced by firefighters are similar. He called on firefighters throughout Belgium's 34 'emergency areas' (zones de secours) to commit to a strike, in addition to participating in Belgium's national 'day of action' on 9 November.
The firefighters' strike action is just the latest in a series going back several years, with the grievances cited remaining relatively unchanged. These include low pay, poor working conditions, and inadequate psychological and social support for staff.
