The Iris Hospital network in Brussels is striking on Tuesday to make a stand against employees' poor working conditions. Some services will still be provided, however, RTL Info reports.
A crowd of people have gathered outside the CHU Brugmann, the CHU Saint-Pierre, the Iris Sud hospitals and the Institut Jules Bordet hospitals to denounce the working conditions of staff. A minimum service, similar to that on a Sunday, will be provided.
"Over the past two years, we have been in almost constant conflict," said Benoît Lambotte, Secretary of CSC Brussels (Belgium's largest trade union). The unions are calling for fairer pay and claim that management and the political authorities have for too long turned a deaf ear to the working conditions of hospital staff.
Lambotte also stated that absenteeism in hospitals is high due to burnout and illnesses, but staff are not getting replaced. "All these illnesses are linked to the workload, and these staff are not being replaced. It's the others on-site who have to do the work, who then fall ill themselves," the CSC Brussels secretary explained. "It's a vicious circle."
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Iris network workers assembled outside their hospitals early on Tuesday morning and have now gathered at Place De Brouckère where union events and speeches will take place, Lambotte stated. From there, the protest will continue to the offices of Alain Maron, the Health Minister for the Brussels-Capital Region.
