Raoul Hedebouw: “I worked in a sausage factory”
Raoul Hedebouw has not always worked in politics. Younger, the party president of the PTB multiplied student jobs. But the job that seems to him to be the most emblematic is that of a worker in a sausage manufacturing plant, in Basse-Meuse in the Liège region.
“During my biology studies, I worked quite a lot, notably in an industrial sausage manufacturing plant, in Basse-Meuse near Liège. There, I made my first contacts with the world of work. And I have great memories of camaraderie. I earned 30,000 francs, or 750 euros, “says the politician. But following his student jobs, Raoul Hedebouw worked as a teacher in biology, chemistry and physics before entering politics and becoming today the president of the PTB.
Caroline Désir: “Entering prison at 23 is impressive”
“One day following lunch, a lawyer for whom I had done research asked me to become a full-time associate. I was very surprised especially since I was still a student. I worked on redundancy cases and helped unemployed people. As a trainee lawyer, I earned 20,000 Belgian francs (around €500). »
“I remember the day I received the letter allowing me to go and plead in court. Finding yourself in prison at 23 to visit detainees, as a pro deo lawyer, is very impressive. One day my tutor left everything to go to France and I had to find another job. Justice is what it is. Several verdicts fell months following my forced change of life”
Valérie Glatigny, swimming teacher: “I loved giving lessons to baby swimmers”
“I was a swimming instructor for three years. I had done a bit of competition, I knew how to swim well and my mom was a gym teacher. I loved teaching baby swimmers and repeating “frog, plane, rocket” to them to learn the basic gestures. My salary was 1,200 euros while I was still a student. »
“Then I became a journalist in a local radio station in Habay-la-Neuve. My father called me every time I stumbled over a word or made a syntax error (laughs). I loved this job and then I met Louis Michel who led me into politics. I did this for two years. I even did some radio animation. »
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