All three trade unions representing the Brussels Fire Brigade (SIAMU) have called a 24-hour strike for Tuesday 21 July, coinciding with crowds of more than 200,000 expected in the capital for National Day celebrations. The walk-out, which begins at 00:01, is a protest against staff shortages, forced transfers and a proposed performance-appraisal system that unions say will increase pressure without extra resources. Under Belgian labour law, firefighters are an essential service and can be requisitioned individually. Management therefore has until midnight to issue compulsory-service notices. However, the unions have urged members to ignore phone calls unless formally designated and to remain at home. From a mobility standpoint, reduced emergency coverage could affect traffic management and crowd safety around the military parade and fireworks. The Brussels-Capital Region has activated its contingency plan: neighbouring fire services from Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant will station engines inside the city ring, and the Federal Police will provide additional medical response units. Employers running large events or client hospitality today should verify that private fire-safety certificates remain valid and consider hiring supplemental first-aid staff. Travellers using underground car parks should factor in possible evacuation delays if alarms occur. The dispute highlights a wider European challenge: large urban fire services are under funding pressure while being asked to take on new tasks such as climate-related disaster response. SIAMU says it needs 200 additional firefighters to meet EU guidelines for response times—an issue likely to resurface when the regional budget is debated in the autumn.
Source: The Brussels Times
