Guards at a penitentiary in Wortel, Antwerp Province, will go on a 24-hour strike from Thursday at 10 p.m., their union announced on Wednesday.
“This strike could have been avoided if staff concerns had been heeded earlier,” the VSOA-Prisons public service union said in a statement.
Recent weeks have seen frequent unrest at Wortel Prison. Several warders have been injured in fights at the institution. In January, a disturbance erupted there when some 30 inmates refused to return to their cells, causing damage and a fire. And on 1 July, a prisoner destroyed a cell and kicked a guard in the ribs.
“The situation is intolerable,” said union secretary Eddy De Smedt. “The workload has been unbearable for years, safety issues are mounting, and there is a glaring lack of structural solutions.
“Despite repeated warnings and calls for action, management remains deaf to the concerns of those on the ground.”
De Smedt noted there is significant willingness among staff to strike, which may disrupt the provision of minimum services.
