The Brussels regional waste authority Net Brussel has decided that none of its litter pickers will be sent the area of Schaarbeek adjacent to Brussels North Railway Station. Net Brussels has taken its decision as its staff no longer wish to work there after Net Brussels staff were attacked in the area several times.
Rubbish piles up as cleansing department staff refuse to work in “unsafe” area near to Brussels North Station
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At the beginning of May, the refuse collectors stopped working in the neighbourhood, part of which is home to Brussels’ red light district, after one of their colleagues was attacked. They returned to work after adjustments were made to shift pattens which meant that cleasing crews didn’t have to work the area alone any more. They were accompanied by municipal stewards and the police patrolled the area at frequent intervals.
Nevertheless, there was another incident on 11 June when a team of refuse collectors was attacked. "The safety of Net Brussels staff in this neighbourhood can no longer be guaranteed. This is due to the presence of homeless people, who are often under the influence of drugs and alcohol", the regional cleaning and refuse collection agency said in a press statement.
„This is not a strike“
"Our staff have indicated that they can no longer carry out their work there," says Net Brussel. Net Brussel calls for measures to be taken to permanently address the issues of crime and security in the area. However, up until now talks with both the regional authorities and the municipal authorities in Schaarbeek have failed to find a satisfactory solution.
Consequently, the following streets will not be cleansed until further notice: Brabantstraat, Aarschotstraat, Kwatrechtstraat, Rogierstraat, d'Hoogvorststraat, Allardstraat, De Potterstraat and Liedtsstraat. However, the garbage truck or bin lorry is still collecting normal bagged rubbish. Net Brussel says that its littler pickers will only return to the area once it is deemed safe for them to work there.