Civil service unions to demonstrate on 7 February
The three main trade union organisations in the public sector have called a national demonstration of federal civil servants for Thursday 7 February. The will be protesting against plans by civil service minister Hendrik Bogaert to make major changes to the system of career progression. The unions argue that Bogaert is talking about abolishing the system of training and examinations that are the basis of the current system without being clear about what he wants in its place. The unions are distributing 50000 postcards so that members can send their protests direct to the minister. Read more at > CSC (FR) And at > CGSP (FR) And at > SLFP (FR) And at > VSOA (NL) And at > ACOD (NL) And at > ACV (NL)
Unions protest over restructuring of finance ministry
The CSC, CGSP and SLPF public sector trade union federations coordinated a demonstration in Brussels on 9 October in protest at management plans to cuts jobs as part of a plan to reorganise the finance ministry Unions are concerned that staff will be required to change jobs and will lose out in terms of bonuses and other allowances. Read more at > CSC Services Publics (FR)
Notice of industrial action in unemployment benefit service
The CSC public services union has given formal notice of its intention to take industrial action over employment and working conditions at the CAPAC/HVW unemployment benefit service. The union is unhappy about the dismissal of contract workers and compulsory relocation of those with statutory rights. It is also critical of the failure of changed opening hours for office and of the pressure and even threats faced by workers. The union wants to see a proper process of social dialogue to try to resolve these issues. Read more at > CSC (FR)
Prison workers highlight problems of overcrowding
Trade unions at the Forest prison in Brussels called an emergency meeting with employers under social dialogue procedures on 1 March to raise the urgent problem of overcrowding, made more acute by the need to find space to isolate several cases of tuberculosis. The prison’s capacity is 405 but it has 715 inmates. The unions organised internal actions, including a go-slow, during the week beginning 5 March to underline the problems created by overcrowding and the lack of investment in the prison and understaffing. The unions want a meeting with the Minister of Justice to tackle the issue across all Belgian prisons. Read more at > CGPS (FR)
Pensions pressures lead to industrial action
The CSC public services union called for strike action in provincial offices of the national pensions service from 21 February. The union is responding to excessive pressure on staff arising from a number of factors including the rise in the numbers claiming pensions, the increase in enquiries resulting from the national debate over pensions reform, difficulties arising from poor communications from the service and a transfer of responsibilities to the provincial offices without any appropriate allocation of additional resources. Read more at > CSC (FR) And at >ACV Openbare Diensten (NL)
Firefighters push for retirement at 58
Unions representing firefighters organised a demonstration in Brussels on 10 February in support of their demand for a retirement age of 58. They argue that this would be in line with the police and would recognise the stressful and dangerous nature of their profession. Read more at > Le Soir news website (FR)
Confederations agree on general strike
The three trade union confederations are planning a general strike for 30 January in protest at the government austerity measures and their impact on workers and the welfare state. Unions are concerned about cuts to unemployment benefit and attacks on early retirement among other changes. They argue that the measures are being pushed through without any social dialogue and that the government has failed to consider any alternatives – no real attempt to deal with tax fraud and with the banks and employers in general getting off very lightly. Read more at > FGTB/ABVV (FR) And at > ABVV/FGTB (NL) And at > ACV/CSC (NL)
Public sector unions strike over pensions
The three public sector union federations supported national strike action in protest at government plans for pension reform and its failure to undertake any negotiations with the trade unions. The changes to pensions will mean working longer for a lower level of benefit as the retirement age is increased and the period for calculating pensions is increased from the last five years to the last 10 years in the job. Workers of all ages would be affected if the reforms go through unchanged. Read more at > EPSU (EN, FR, NL) And at > CGSP (FR) And at > ACOD (NL) And at > CSC (FR) And at > ACV (NL) And at > SLFP (FR) And at > VSOA ( NL)
Over 75,000 demonstrate against austerity measures
The three trade union confederations (FGTB/ABVV, CSC/ACOD, CGSLB/VSOA) organized a national demonstration on 2 December against proposed budget cuts, attacks on pension rights and threats to the wage indexation system. Read more at > ABVV (NL) And at > FGTB (FR) And at > CSC (FR) And at > ACV (NL) And at > CGSLB (FR) And at > ACLVB (NL)
Bargaining focuses on purchasing power and jobs
Unions in the non-profit sector, covering a range of health and social services, are starting negotiations over a new federal agreement with their main focus on protecting purchasing power and increasing employment. There has been a review of occupations in the sector and on the basis of these changes in job descriptions, unions are looking for a new pay structure and arrangements that will provide progression over a career and will take account of length of service. In order to tackle the increase in workloads and stress, particularly in health sector jobs, the unions are looking for an increase in employment that will also allow employees to adjust their hours and secure a better work-life balance. Read more at > SETCA (FR) And in Dutch at > BBTK
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