National conference for employment launched

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In September 2003, the Belgian federal government opened a national 'conference for employment' bringing together federal, regional and community ministers and the social partners. The aim of the conference is to draw up measures leading to the creation of 200,000 new jobs by 2007. The initial measures will appear in the draft federal budget for 2004.

The coalition agreement concluded on 10 July 2003 by Belgium's new government - made up of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, VLD), the (French-speaking) Reform Movement (Mouvement réformateur, MR), the (French-speaking) Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste, PS) and the (Flemish-speaking) Progressive Social Alternative (Sociaal Progressief Alternatief, SP.A-Spirit) - provides for the creation of 200,000 new jobs by the end of the government's term of office in 2007 (BE0308302N). With a view to achieving this objective, the government announced that it would call a national 'conference for employment' at short notice, bringing together the government, the social partners and regional and community authorities.

The conference opened on 19 September 2003 at the premises of the National Bank (Banque Nationale de Belgique/Nationale Bank van Belgïe, BNB/NBB), and was attended by a total of 21 people. Of these, 11 represented the social partners: Mia De Vits and André Mordant of the Belgian General Federation of Labour (Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique/Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond, FGTB/ABVV); Luc Cortebeeck and Josly Piette of the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Confédération des Syndicats Chrétiens/Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond, CSC/ACV); Guy Haaze of the Federation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (Centrale Générale des Syndicats Libéraux de Belgique/Algemene Centrale der Liberale Vakbonden van Belgïe, CGSLB/ACLVB); Kris Peeters of the Union of Independents (Unie van Zelfstandige Ondernemers, UNIZO); Roger Mené of the Union of Small Firms and Traders (Union des Classes Moyennes, UCM); Noël Devits of the Farmers' Union (Boerenbond); and Luc Vansteenkiste, Tony Vandeputte and Pieter Timmermans of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (Fédération des Entreprises de Belgique/Verbond van Belgische Ondernemingen, FEB/VBO).

The various levels of government were represented by: the Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, and Employment Minister, Frank Vandenbroucke; the Flemish President-Minister, Bart Somers, and Employment Minister, Renaat Landuyt; the Walloon President-Minister, Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe, and Employment Minister, Philippe Courard; the President-Minister of the Brussels-Capital region, Daniel Ducarme, and the region's Minister of Employment, Eric Tomas; the President-Minister of the French-speaking Community, Hervé Hasquin; and the President-Minister of the German-speaking Community, Karl-Heinz Lambertz.

The first results of the conference are likely to be known in mid-October, and an initial series of measures (including a further cut in social security contributions amounting to EUR 400 million in 2004) may be announced in a forthcoming government statement, and when the state budget for 2004 is being drawn up.

At the opening of the conference, Jan Smets, the vice-president of the Higher Council for Employment (Conseil supérieur de l'emploi/Hoge Raad voor de Werkgelegenheid) (BE9708114N), stated that although the economic situation was not ideal, 'the worst is probably behind us'. Certain indices, he believed, suggested that the Belgian economy might pick up. Recent forecasts pointed to average economic growth in the EU of 2.4% a year from 2003 to 2008, and of 12.5% over the whole period, and employment growth of 3.7%. If these forecasts became a reality, Mr Smets said, employment in Belgium would rise by 5.5%, or by 230,000 new jobs.

For the government's various employment objectives to be achieved, unemployed workers will have to return to the labour market and, according to Mr Smets’ report, there two main groups that are not active in the labour market: non-native Belgians, whose participation rate on the labour market is less than half that of native-born Belgians (BE0209304F); and people aged over 55, of whom only a quarter in Belgium work (BE9905271F), compared with an EU average of 40%. Mr Smets also stressed that Belgium has difficulty in matching labour demand in a given region or subregion to labour supply in other regions and subregions. There are very considerable differences in rates of unemployment, not only between regions, but also between provinces and local authority areas. 'It follows', Mr Smets said in his report, 'that Belgium has a labour mobility problem that may be attributed to a number of factors such as cultural and linguistic barriers, a low level of housing mobility, inadequate exchange of information and, particularly in respect of non-native Belgians, most of whom live in the big cities, difficulties associated with movement and selective or discriminatory recruiting practices'.

On 19 September, participants at the conference for employment decided on a method of working. Two working groups consisting of experts were set up, with the task of producing an overview of the various matters to be presented to the conference for decision. The first group is made up of representatives of the federal government and the federal social partners, and will address issues such as: a reduction in social security contributions for targeted groups; incentives for low-paid employment; training; a new approach in the event of corporate restructuring exercises; integration jobs; and the mobility and employability of job-seekers. The second group is composed of representatives of regional and community governments and the federal government, and will deal with matters such as: local community services vouchers; individual integration schemes for job-seekers; innovation, research and development; training; and job creation in the social economy.

'If we get the mix right on some of these issues', stated the Federal Minister for Employment and Pensions, Frank Vandenbroucke, 'I will ask for the conference to be re-convened.' The Minister made it clear that he did not want to work to deadlines, and that the objective was not to create 200,000 jobs in three weeks. 'Jobs will not be created in meetings. All we can do', he said, 'is create conditions that are favourable to employment'.