An agreement has been reached between the Brussels regional government and the firefighters’ unions. After five days of strike action, the unions called for the strike to be suspended. Patrick Giebens of socialist union ACOD confirmed the news to Brussels media outlet BRUZZ. Brussels PM Boris Dilliès (Francophone liberal MR) has promised, amongst other things, to recruit a hundred additional firefighters.
Talks resumed early on Saturday morning and were concluded at around 11.00 am. At around 5.30 pm, Brussels PM Boris Dilliès confirmed the terms of the agreement in a press release.
The agreement provides, amongst other things, for the accelerated recruitment of staff through various recruitment rounds this year and next. In the long term, the entire Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (DBDMH) is set to have an additional 100 full-time workers. The 112-emergency call centre will also be strengthened with six to ten additional call handlers.
In addition, there will be extra funding for the fire service division. In particular, the fire stations in Anderlecht and the VUB station will see their budget enlarged.
Terms and conditions of employment
According to socialist ACOD trade union representative Giebens, the proposal to reduce the number of staff on standby is also being withdrawn. Staffing levels will be reviewed on the basis of need, rather than on the basis of budget.
In practice, this means that all current pay scales will be maintained, as will the terms and conditions of employment for operational staff despite budgetary constraints, PM Dilliès promised.
“The problems outlined by the fire service are real and deserve to be heard,” Dilliès wrote in his press release. “The government has responded by mobilising all available resources, despite the familiar budgetary context that had to be taken into account. I am pleased that a solution has been found in a spirit of responsibility.”
Due to the strike, the Brussels fire service was severely understaffed on Saturday morning. Barely 17 per cent of the scheduled on-duty personnel were at work, which seriously jeopardised the provision of emergency services in the Belgian and Flemish capital and across the region.