Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The socialist trade union ACOD urges OCMW Sint-Jans-Molenbeek employees to end their work duties. A worker at the organisation received vinegar in their face while serving a welfare claimant, which led to the workers’ union decision to stop working.
The ACOD socialist trade union organised a stoppage of work activities at Sint-Jans-Molenbeek’s OCMW (Public Center for Social Welfare) due to a welfare claimant assaulting staff with vinegar. Employees need urgent measures to protect their safety because the union has declared a work stoppage.
A welfare claimant attacked an OCMW employee by hitting their face with vinegar during an incident. Staff members, along with their union, expressed significant anger due to this incident. Lodonou, from the trade union, declared to the media,
“Insults together with threats alongside shouting form a regular pattern of abuse that OCMW employees must endure.”
It’s the daily fate of the employees of the OCMW of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. Lodonou acknowledged the recent authorities’ steps but expressed dissatisfaction because they arrived late. The recent violent incident shows that employees need better protection and improved safety measures in response to urgent situations.
What is the background behind OCMW Molenbeek’s challenges?
The Sint-Jans-Molenbeek OCMW functions within a municipality where a dense population overlaps with serious socio-economic difficulties. Molenbeek, which belongs to the Brussels-Capital Region, has a poverty level of about 38%, making it a high-poverty designation among Belgian communities. The social welfare stand of OCMWs enables them to deliver vital support services to groups of vulnerable citizens. Staff members experience elevated workplace stress because of rising demands from their cases, alongside confrontations experienced by welfare claimants.
Current statistics show that physical and verbal attacks against social workers increased by 15% throughout Belgium during the past half-decade. The vinegar-throwing incident demonstrates how staffing tensions have escalated because claimants face prolonged bureaucratic waiting times and scarce resources, and staff stress increases due to increasing workloads. The current fiscal restrictions imposed by the national government create financial pressures on OCMW budgets, which reduces municipal funding for these difficulties.
