Around 100 workers from the Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS) of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean gathered on Wednesday morning to protest against the dismissal of 20 staff members.
The demonstration was organised by the CSC-CGSP-SLFP joint union front, just one day before the municipal council is scheduled to meet to discuss the budget.
Trade unions had already staged a work stoppage on Monday to express their opposition to the layoffs. They argue that the cuts will increase workloads within the CPAS, which is already managing thousands of social assistance cases.
Several staff members and union representatives spoke at the protest, demanding clarifications on the criteria behind the dismissals and calling for structural refinancing of Brussels’ CPAS institutions.
Ahmed El Khannouss, head of the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean CPAS addressed the workers during the process. According to union leaders, he sought to reassure them and said he hoped to avoid future restructurings.
El Khannouss stated that the layoffs were due to structural issues and said they were done “with a heavy heart.”
The situation was “heartbreaking” for the municipal authorities, he added.
Unions are calling on their members to continue their mobilisation for Thursday’s municipal council session, where they intend to challenge political leaders about the CPAS’s financial situation and the repercussions of the announced dismissals on staff and beneficiaries of the service.
