“Where’s that liar?” Police unions take action at city hall Kortrijk

Turmoil, bombs, pyrotechnics and wailing sirens. The action of the joint police unions (NSPV, VSOA and ACV police) at the Kortrijk town hall did not go unnoticed. With a good hundred demonstrators, they had come to the city council of Kortrijk. However, their head of jut, Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne, was not present. Due to a new threat, he and his family are forced to stay in a safe house. The unions knew that, but because Van Quickenborne is still the title-holding mayor, they allowed the action to continue in Kortrijk.

“Where’s that liar?”

The unions especially criticize the fact that – according to them – a breach of promise has been committed. “Agreements that have been concluded must be honored,” says Vincent Houssin of trade union VSOA. ” The protocol says that our current end-of-career scheme can only end when there is harmonization, a global agreement. There is no such agreement, but the core is still forcing it on us. What’s more, a protocol was signed in January that states that our current arrangement will remain until there is harmonization. Signed by the Ministry of the Interior and Justice. But now they want to return to that. This is a breach of promise.”

And that is why the unions want to take action in Kortrijk. They do that by chanting “Where’s that liegebeest?” Which refers to Van Quickenborne. From 15 December there will also be a “fine strike”. Not a real strike, but a call from the union to the agents to act less repressively and to stop issuing ‘small fines’.

What do the unions disagree with?

In short, what the core proposes is the following scheme: Police officers receive – in phases – a gross wage surcharge of 2000 euros per year (45% from October ’23, from January ’24 90% and later in 2024 the remaining 10%). This comes to 160 euros per month and costs the government 136 million euros. On top of the indexing that is already there. The early retirement scheme (from the age of 58 now, towards the age of 60) will be extended in phases between now and 2030. The government is also investing 310 million euros in the recruitment of new personnel and new equipment.

“Doesn’t belong here, this is below par”

Ruth Vandenberghe, the current mayor of Kortrijk, left the council chamber before the start of the city council to receive a pamphlet from the trade unions. She did so with dignity and reacted briefly in front of our camera: “I don’t think this is appropriate here. This is a matter that should be discussed in Brussels. And I also think this is very inappropriate. People knew that the Minister would not be here. He is threatened with his life. Then it is very inappropriate to protest in this way now. I think the police have a social function to fulfill. The way in which public order is disturbed here, with a kind of inappropriate language, I think that is below all level.”