The AFMP military union calls the abuses at the defense locations in Brabant worrisome. Documents that Omroep Brabant has seen show that there has been an unsafe environment in recent years. Bullying and sexual harassment are common. Ron Segers of the trade union nevertheless sees bright spots. “Defense has already taken several steps for improvement.”
“Defense is just like a normal company. You deal with people,” says Segers of the AFMP. “And you work in a hierarchy, in which you have to listen to the boss. It is not good that there is bullying and sexual harassment, let me put that first, but it has already become much less.”
According to Segers, it helped that extra people were added a few years ago to the Central Defense Integrity Organization (COID), which deals with matters such as bullying and sexual harassment. “They couldn’t handle the amount of work. The extra hands have improved the processing of complaints a lot.”
Documents requested by Omroep Brabant for the period from January 2020 to last year show that there is an unsafe environment for students and employees at the Ministry of Defence. Furthermore, the defense locations are confronted with hard drug use, there are suspicions of theft and violation of their own rules.
If victims report to the union, Ron Segers always advises them to also submit a central complaint. “And if someone only complains to their own manager, it is important that that complaint is passed on. But that is already much better,” said the trade unionist.