BRUSSELS — Electricity firm Electrabel sacked on Tuesday 12 workers for downloading racist and child pornography files in the workplace.

Socialist union Gazelco was initially said to be planning to fight the sackings, but union federation ACOD later downplayed the reports, newspaper ‘De Standaard’ pointed out on Thursday.

ACOD said possession of child pornography or racist documents was indefensible, but stressed union members can still take their case to the federation’s legal advice bureau.
 
“But if there is a matter of child pornography or racism, we will not handle their dossier. They will then have to get their own lawyer,” ACOD vice chairman Karel Stessens said.
 
However, Stessens said he also had questions about the procedure of having internet and email of Electrabel staff examined by an external firm.

“But the CAO [collective labour agreement] is — on the other hand — very clear. The personnel signed the CAO and thus knew very well what the company’s ‘internet policy’ was,” he said.

According to newspaper ‘Het Gazet van Antwerpen’, the investigations being carried out by Electrabel have not yet been completed. Sanctions might still be imposed.

Company management has also handed the files over to the public prosecution office for further investigations. However, an Electrabel spokeswoman refused to comment on the matter.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news