Belgian Prison Staff Plan Strikes From Sept. 6 to 11: ‘We Received No Satisfactory Guarantees’

Belgian prison workers are set to strike for five days after negotiations with the Justice Ministry and prison administration failed to produce guarantees they considered satisfactory.

The joint union front filed a strike notice covering all prisons, including remand centres, from 10 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2026. The action is scheduled to end at 10 p.m. on Sept. 11. Union representatives said the same disputes continue to surface in local consultations, without concrete answers from political authorities.

The unions cite persistent overcrowding, staff shortages, infrastructure problems and security difficulties. Overcrowding has reportedly forced a substantial number of prisoners to sleep on the floor. Staff members also face delays in receiving leave.

Alain Blancke of ACV Public Services, Eddy De Smedt of VSOA and Jef Tax of ACOD said discussions on Monday and Tuesday with Minister Annelies Verlinden’s office and prison administration director-general Mathilde Steenbergen ended without a result. The unions therefore decided to proceed with the existing strike notices.

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Unfortunately, we received no satisfactory guarantees or concrete response from the political authorities to resolve these problems structurally in the short and medium term. That is why we are proceeding with the current strike notices. The strike will begin on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, at 10 p.m. and end on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at 10 p.m.