Ghent (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Last Saturday on 28th September, a park ranger was attacked in Drongen, near Ghent. Ivago closed all recycling parks to protest safety issues. Spokesperson Sandra Deneef stressed the need for better protection for workers.
Last Saturday on 28th September, there was an incident at the recycling park in Drongen, near Ghent, where a park ranger was attacked. Sandra Deneef, a spokesperson for Ivago, said the ranger got hurt and had to go to the hospital. The police were called to help with the situation.
How is Ivago addressing safety concerns after the park ranger attack?
Ivago, the company responsible for the recycling parks, is very concerned about the safety of their workers after a recent attack on a park ranger. In response to this incident, Ivago and the unions decided to close all recycling parks the following day as a form of protest, with Ivago spokesperson Sandra Deneef stating, “The cup is full,” indicating that staff safety concerns have reached a critical point. This decision aimed to highlight the growing issue of safety for employees at recycling parks to the public and authorities.
Ivago, the waste management company, first said on social media that the parks might stay closed for another day after a park ranger was involved in an incident in Drongen. But then they deleted that post, which caused some confusion. People still don’t know if the parks will reopen or stay closed. Ivago hasn’t shared any new information, so people don’t know when they might open again. This situation follows their concerns for staff safety after the incident and the parks being closed as a protest.
“Our park rangers help visitors with their waste,” Sandra Deneef explained. “They often face insults and even attacks, which is not okay. We want everyone to feel safe at the recycling parks. We’re asking for more attention to this issue and will take legal action against anyone causing trouble. Ivago’s management and unions met today to discuss better safety for workers, but it’s not clear what was decided. The police in Ghent will also start doing extra checks at the recycling parks.”
