Dendermonde (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Trade unions ACV Openbare Diensten and ACOD LRB have filed a strike notice in Dendermonde, protesting city budget cuts impacting public services.
They are demonstrating against the outsourcing of certain municipal functions and the anticipated savings.
This covers cleaning help through service vouchers, the central kitchen, the De Kleine Kroon daycare center, and the cleaning of public buildings in Dendermonde, Belgium.
“People have been presented with a fait accompli,”
says Stephan Van de Meirssche of ACOD to the Belga press agency.
“There has been no consultation, only a statement via the media. We want the city government to reconsider the planned privatizations.”
The local government affirms that on May 26, unions and employees were contacted.
“We understand the unrest and take the concerns seriously,”
it says.
The city claims that qualified outside partners will take over the services, offering staffing and quality assurances.
On Thursday 5 June, consultations will take place between the city council and the unions. They will wait for the results before taking action.
“We do not want chaos, but also no social breakdown,”
says Van de Meirssche.
To minimize the impact on services, the city hopes for a positive discussion.
What specific services are the unions protesting to outsource in Dendermonde?
The unions ACV Openbare Diensten and ACOD LRB are protesting the outsourcing of numerous municipal services. Cleaning, maintenance, technical services, administrative support, and occasionally social or care services are among the activities that are typically at risk of outsourcing in comparable union actions.
The outsourcing of call center services, cleaning, portering, catering, and security personnel at public facilities has been opposed by unions in different European countries.
The primary issue raised by the unions is that outsourcing these services can result in less stable employment, lower pay, and worse working conditions for municipal employees.
