Street sweeper faces dismissal for election leafleting

A Molenbeek street cleaner is facing disciplinary action and potential dismissal for posting Socialist party election leaflets through people's letterboxes while on duty.

The employee was caught by one of his superiors in late August, as he went door to door with leaflets for one of the PS candidates, while wearing his municipal uniform.

A disciplinary procedure was launched this week and the cleaner will be questioned by the mayor and municipal councillors.

RTBF reports that the cleaner had already been issued with a warning, after a photo of him at work was used in a Socialist party election manifesto distributed to homes earlier in the summer.

Meanwhile, a Brussels MP wants to introduce letterbox stickers similar to "Stop Pub" so that local residents can choose not to receive election leaflets at their home.

An estimated 16,000 homes in Brussels have placed a sticker on their letterbox banning advertising. Political material is not covered under the "Stop Pub" scheme, but David Weytsman, who is a candidate for the MR party in the City of Brussels, said many people did not realise this and had complained to him about junk mail.

Photo: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga