Search Q&A
Unions
Hello - a small followup to an earlier post about extension of working hours, with thanks to those who responded.
I am on a Belgian contract, so I guess i have to check regulations etc. On this site I see a lot about joining unions - what sorts of jobs are covered by these? I thought that they were not really for white collar work, due to differences in work environment and internal regulations, but perhaps I am wrong? Can anyone in any sector join a union, and is it really recommended?
And finally, are some better than others? If so, which would be suggested for expats? Thanks very much.
Unions are for everyone. I'm with the ACV, but they're all pretty much the same. The best thing is, they take all the hassle out of everything as they tend to sort all the paperwork for holiday pay, chomage etc. As you're on a Belgian contract you don't need to worry about being an expat. Hope you get sorted soon.
Joining the union is worth mainly for 2 reasons; if you get in trouble with your employer you can get quick and powerful support through your union (they all have 'hotline' for questions and if needed you can also get a lawyer with reasonable costs, sometimes even free) and if you get unemployed having your benefits paid via union is very much quicker and easier than through the state system.
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The unions do have differences in their politics. In general I find they all represent quite conservative and protectionist approach (even for someone like me, coming from country with strong and long social democratic history), but I am sure there are other opinions on this. At least in their public image they base a lot in strong polarization between 'big and bad companies' and 'defenseless employees'. They are also nationalist to some extent, but this might be an impression created by the events linked to the recent closures of manufacturing plants of some international companies.
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The socialist union FGTB/ABVV is the biggest and most aggressive one. The second biggest CSC/ACV is christian democrat and that does also show in their rhetoric. The third one is CGSLB/ACLVB which represents more liberal view both in economics and in regulation of the employment conditions, but being very small compared to the two others often follows their lead. There is quite a lot more division beyond the basic structure, for example the language& regional division. Each union is also composed of smaller unions linked to different professions. You can find more info easily by googling with the union names.
