Belgian prison guards begin five-day strike over overcrowding and staff shortages

Belgian prison guards have begun a five-day strike, citing persistent overcrowding, staff shortages, and longstanding problems with infrastructure and security.

The strike started at 10 p.m. and is scheduled to continue until 10 p.m. Friday. Because it lasts more than two days, prison directors can compel guards to work if too few volunteers remain to maintain minimum staffing levels.

The unions say prison staff have long demanded solutions to overcrowding, the large number of prisoners forced to sleep on the floor, and staffing shortages. They also warn that conditions inside the prisons create unsafe working circumstances.

Earlier talks with Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden did not produce an agreement. Prison unions met with Verlinden and Mathilde Steenbergen, director of the prison service, on Aug. 31, but the discussions yielded nothing concrete.