Saint-Gilles prison, Belgium - Screws on strike following attacks

cette semaine

03/07/2011 - GRÈVE SAINT-GILLES The personnel of the prison of Saint-Gilles decided to go on srtike yesterday morning. A work stoppage lasted until Sunday night at 10 pm. The movement could continue today if staff decide at the general meeting. If the guards of Saint-Gilles prison abruptly left their posts yesterday, it is not least because of an attack on one of their colleagues on Sunday at 6 am at the subway exit of the south station, gare du Midi. It was the last straw for the personnel that have seen three similar attacks in less than two weeks. The other reason for this spontaneous movement of discontent is the arrival in Saint-Gilles prison of Farid le Fou. A transfer that the guards were expecting for September 15, but management just told them that the convicted person most feared by the guards in the country would be ahead of schedule, on 16 August! Enough to arouse the anger of staff. "There was a tacit agreement with the Director General of Prisons, that the prisoner would not be sent to Saint-Gilles prison during the holidays, when the prison is short staffed, with contracted out personnel who are not used to such inmates considered dangerous. This agreement was not respected by management", laments Cosimo, prison guard and Regional Delegate CSPF. The last straw was this Sunday, the assault of a guard at the South Station while he was on his way to the prison. In only a few days, three staff have been assaulted outside the prison. Starting with a nurse outside the prison walls. Last Wednesday, a uniformed guard coming out of the subway with a colleague was stabbed just because he works in prison. This Sunday, the guard who was attacked was also in uniform. According to the management it is argued that the authors only wanted his backpack, but the attack was too much for the staff of St. Gilles.(dhnet)