Belgium now also has to deal with the spread of COVID-19 on its territory and, as in many countries, medical equipment is in short supply : in the name of its long-standing principle of solidarity, Union Syndicale has decided to support the CHU Saint-Pierre, located in Brussels, with €60,000 to enable them to obtain the respirators and personal protective equipment that are still lacking.

“In Belgium, the Coronavirus is putting the health care system to the test: medical staff are mobilised at all hours of the day and night, masks and gloves are in short supply and the emergency services are always full. As a trade union, it is essential that the rights of healthcare workers are guaranteed and that their work can be carried out in the best possible conditions” explains Niels Bracke, President of Union Syndicale Brussels. That is why Union Syndicale, the leading European public service trade union, and in particular the trade union sections based in the Brussels institutions (Eurocontrol, the European Commission and executive agencies, the General Secretariat of the Council and the European External Action Service, but also the Parliament and the European Schools in Brussels) has decided to support the healthcare staff at the CHU Saint-Pierre, located in Brussels, by helping them to acquire the respirators and other equipment they so desperately need.

Solidarity is one of the founding principles of Union Syndicale and it was essential that, in the light of current events, the Union remembered its values: the defence of public service, staff and working conditions. Healthcare staff are in the front line to protect us all. Without our solidarity, the system as a whole can no longer function. Union Syndicale is therefore making every effort to protect the staff of the European public service, of course, but is extending its scope for solidarity action to those who today need it most.

Union Syndicale appeals to all its members for solidarity during these times troubled by the COVID-19 virus and encourages them to make a donation, to help the CHU Saint-Pierre or any other hospital in Belgium.

To all of us, let’s make solidarity our priority!

To make a donation, you can find all the information here.