Talks between police unions and Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden over improving police working conditions ended in stalemate Tuesday, prompting officers to continue their protests across Belgium.
Verlinden has not put forward concrete proposals, according to unions. “It is astonishing that the interior minister still has no mandate from the government to negotiate with the trade unions,” said police union leaders in a statement, describing the meeting as a “fiasco.”
As a result, police unions are carrying out more demonstrations Wednesday and in the coming days outside law courts, including in Liège, Brussels and Namur.
“We can expect a lot of actions at the airports — Zaventem mainly, that’s very clear. There will certainly be border controls: land and road controls, but also in international train stations like Brussels Midi,” said Thierry Belin, general secretary of police union SNPS.
Belgian police unions are demanding higher wages, improvement of working conditions and increased resources for police forces.
Verlinden said in a statement released shortly after the Tuesday meeting that the government is still looking for a solution. Police unions and the interior minister are set to meet again next Monday.