At a general meeting early on Friday morning, guards the Ittre prison voted to continue the strike they spontaneously initiated on Wednesday. They feel that visits by auditors to report on the current situation in prisons and to remind them that they will have the opportunity to voice their opinions at the meeting scheduled on December 16th with the Minister of Justice, have brought nothing new to the table as yet. They will therefore remain on strike over the weekend and continue on strike as part of Monday's planned nationwide strike.
On Tuesday, therefore, depending on the results of the meeting between union representatives and the Minister of Justice, the Ittre prison guards will decide whether to extend their protest or not. Until then, they will not be returning to work.
Earlier this week, Ittre prison guards decided to only provide a skeleton service in light of their concerns over proposed changes to prison schedules. On Wednesday, prison management asked them to specify if they were on strike or if they were intending to work. It was then that staff decided on a spontaneous strike.
(Source: Belga)
