Belgian prison staff will commence a 24-hour strike from 22:00 on Thursday night in protest of overcrowding and poor working conditions.
The strike is backed by trade unions, who emphasise a significant rise in the number of detainees alongside an increase in assault cases against staff. Belgian prisons currently hold approximately 12,000 people, exceeding capacity by about 1,300 prisoners.
"Overcrowding is leading to intolerable living conditions for our prisoners," Eddy De Smedt of Flemish trade union VSOA told Belga News Agency. The sector has been mired in crisis for years now and the strike aims to highlight the inadequacy of the government's response to an array of long-standing issues.
A chronic staff shortage has pushed the majority of workers to view a strike as essential, says De Smedt. "There’s an urgent need to make the profession more attractive in order to staff the facilities adequately, as a shortage of personnel remains an ongoing issue," he explained.
"This staffing issue is leading to an accumulation of unclaimed leave, reaching a staggering 600,000 days at present."
A picket line at a prison staff strike outside Saint Gilles prison in September 2021. Credit: Belga / Nils Quintellier
These issues have pushed the workforce to strike repeatedly in the past, and the demonstration on 12 January will coincide with the arrival of the 12,000th inmate to Belgian prison facilities.
'Catastrophic' living conditions
Belgium has one of the most severe overcrowding rates in Europe. There are 115 inmates per 100 places compared to the European average of 91.6 inmates per 100 places.
Overcrowding has led to "catastrophic" living conditions for prisoners, according to awareness campaigns led by family members. The Saint Gilles prison has seen as many as three people housed in cells intended for one prisoner. In Flemish prisons, over 200 people had to sleep on the floor in 2o22 due to a lack of beds.
The construction of a 'mega-prison' in Haren is exemplary of the system's difficulties. Opened in 2022, the 1,190-bed facility was intended as a solution to overcrowding. However, staff shortages mean that only 850 places are occupied. The facility itself is faulty too: incorrectly placed smoke extractors led to prisoners being poisoned after a fire, and a mix-up in access badges created security issues.
