Brussels firefighters suspend strike after securing staffing and funding agreement

Updated 26 August 2026, 10:00 CEST — Brussels firefighters suspended their strike in Brussels on Saturday, 25 July, after the joint union front and the Brussels government reached an agreement addressing staff shortages and underfunding at the capital’s fire and emergency medical service, SIAMU. BRUZZ reported that the stoppage was paused after five days of industrial action, while The Brussels Times said the agreement remained subject to consultation with union members.

The settlement superseded the position taken one day earlier, when the movement continued and unions judged the government’s proposals insufficient. BX1 reported on 24 July that participation was close to 100% despite requisitions and that only about 20% of normal firefighting capacity was available. Reinforcements kept urgent ambulance capacity at about 70%, according to SIAMU spokesperson Walter Derieuw, as cited by BX1.

The Brussels government had initially proposed 132 recruitments by the end of 2027, a separate framework for ambulance personnel and €10 million for staffing and investment, BX1 reported. Union representatives said the plan lacked firm timetables and guarantees, arguing that 40 recruits expected in 2026 would not offset roughly 60 anticipated retirements.

Further negotiations produced firmer commitments. BRUZZ reported that SIAMU would gain 100 additional full-time-equivalent positions over time and that the 112 emergency centre would receive six to ten extra call handlers. The agreement also withdraws a contested plan to reduce on-call staffing, preserves existing salary scales and operational working conditions, and bases a revised staffing framework on service needs rather than a predetermined budget, according to BRUZZ.

The Brussels Times reported that the full €10 million in federal funding earmarked for the service would be transferred. More than €8 million is intended for operational teams and the 112 centre, while €2 million is allocated to infrastructure, including priority works. Recruitment campaigns and reserve lists are intended to accelerate hiring and replacement, although most staffing gains are expected in 2027.

For Brussels residents and visitors, the immediate issue was the reliability of fire and urgent medical cover during a severe staffing dispute. BRUZZ reported that only 17% of scheduled personnel were working on Saturday morning before the agreement was announced, with emergency capacity under heavy pressure.

The strike is therefore suspended rather than conclusively closed in the reporting reviewed. Union-member approval, the recruitment calendar and the actual transfer and use of the promised funding remain the next tests. No later source reviewed for this update reported that the agreement had collapsed or that industrial action had resumed.