The discontent of the Brussels firefighters does not weaken. After yesterday’s demonstration and the fruitless meeting with Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden – “arrival half an hour late, hello respect, says the permanent SLFP Eric Labourdette -, the strike continues in the Brussels barracks from Siamu.
This morning, around fifty Brussels firefighters did not come to work. “Out of 170, it’s not nothing,” concedes Siamu spokesman Walter Derieuw. According to the SLFP, the scale of the defections is greater: 63 firefighters absent out of the 163 planned. The Red Cross is once more providing the ambulance service, but for larger interventions such as fires, extrication following an accident, etc., the situation is tense. “We can manage a big intervention but two at the same time, it might be complicated”, further comments Walter Derieuw.
Brussels firefighters angry before their meeting with the Minister of the Interior
According to the SLFP, the current strike is historic within Siamu. “People are very motivated. This strike is the first in 35 years. The firefighters of Brussels have never had a real strike, that is to say not to show up at their workstation. We have already had strikes but we came on site and did nothing. Here it is different.”
Yesterday, the strike was followed by just under half of the Brussels firefighters. Thus, the central barracks (Héliport) had 24 firefighters out of 52 while the outpost of Chesnais was closed, that of the UCL had two people instead of eight. This morning, the firefighters present were dispatched to the outposts in order to keep them all open. Four pumpers instead of the eleven usually planned are ready to go out: two at the heliport instead of three, one at the Anderlecht station instead of two and one at Delta.
In more detail, the Paul Brian post (Schaerbeek) had two firefighters instead of 16, that of Chênaie (Uccle) 2 out of ten, that of Anderlecht 10 out of 26, that of the VUB (Jette) 2 out of 18, that of of Delta 7 out of 16. Only City (Column of Congress) is complete.
“The participation rate of strikers is higher than yesterday. I’m afraid it will go crescendo”, still fears Eric Labourdette, recalling that the SLFP affiliates are on strike “at the end”.
