As of today, a lot will change in Brussels waste collection. This not only has a major impact on the inhabitants of the Region, but also on the collection services. The unions are at a standstill and have already submitted their strike notices.
As of today, it is mandatory to sort organic waste in the orange bag, nightly collections take place again and you can only put out your white bag once a week in ten municipalities. The unions are anything but pleased with the way things are going. Earlier they denounced that they were not involved in the renewal plans for Bruxelles Prototype and that they were not informed until late.
Before that, there was also resistance to the reforms since the covid crisis that reduced the collection rounds from three to two waste collectors per truck and that for a larger surface area per person. This means that heavier bags have to be carried and greater distances must be covered. This now includes the new nocturnal elimination rounds, which the unions have previously opposed. The Bruxelles-Propreté waste collectors are currently allowed to commute to their rounds free of charge by public transport, but that is impossible at night, so they will have to take the car.
Risk Analyses
The three large trade unions VSOA, ACOD and ACV have therefore already submitted strike notices in which they reiterate these grievances. “Since the first consultation meeting on this reform, a text has been presented that has hardly changed since,” said Michel Pirsoul of the VSOA on Monday. “It looked more like an information session than a real consultation.” According to Pirsoul, the whole reform mainly resembles improvisation. “No studies or risk analyzes have been carried out into the impact at all. We will have to wait and see how this plays out in the coming weeks, because we just have no idea for the time being.”
“Due to the slow communication about the reform, many people are not yet on board with the changes,” Mustafa Bouchbouk of the ACV agrees. “We give it 15 days to see how things are going and whether adjustments are made quickly. There are already extra trucks ready to be deployed if necessary, but that means that no one can go on holiday anymore. That is not a solution.”
Effective strikes are not yet imminent. “That is the ultimate weapon”, it sounds. “The strike notices are to reassure the staff,” says David Leirsberghe of the ACOD. “We are still waiting to see how the reform develops in the coming days.” However, he also denounces the very poor communication between the unions and politicians: “Imposing things and only discussing them afterwards. That’s not how it works.”
This article is originally published on .bruzz.be
