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Statements made by the Belgian Minister of social integration in September 2002 on possible recruitment quotas for workers of foreign origin have revived debate on this issue. Current measures to support the recruitment of such workers are of a voluntary nature, and the Minister has raised the possibility of a mandatory approach. The social partners reacted to the statements in differing ways.
In 2000, the International Labour Office (ILO) published research entitled 'Migrant discrimination in the labour market: a comparative study of four European countries' (Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain). It found that the practice of racial discrimination in recruitment was widespread among employers in these countries. On average, a third of employers seeking labour automatically rejected applications from immigrant workers who had acquired the nationality of their host country. Within all four countries, differences in employers' behaviour could be observed not only between sectors, but also between regions: in Belgium, for example, the proportion of employers that automatically rejected immigrants stood at 39% in Flanders, compared with 27% in Wallonia.
In 2001, a study carried out by the Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KUL) argued that entire sectors of the labour market in Flanders and Wallonia were closed to Moroccan and Turkish workers. At the same time, a study by the Flemish Service for Employment and Vocational Training (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsoleiding, VDAB) found that, according to its computerised databases, people with Moroccan- and Turkish-sounding names were only half as likely to taken on by Flemish employers seeking labour.
In Belgium, unlike many other countries, racial and ethnic discrimination in recruitment has mainly been addressed on a voluntary basis (BE9811251F). Approaches have included:
However, this approach has attracted criticism as to its real effectiveness. For example, at a colloquium organised last year by the KUL, it was stated that 'if we confine ourselves to purely voluntary measures, in 10 years we will simply be reaping the same results.' Some argue that it would therefore be better for employers to be bound by more restrictive measures. This is the backdrop to proposals that Johan Vande Lanotte, the (Flemish Socialist) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for social integration, put forward when the Belgian government returned from the summer recess in autumn 2002.
The argument that Mr Vanden Lanotte has developed is based on the principle that 'in any democratic society, there are rights and obligations. Anyone who decides to come and settle in our country has an obligation to integrate, for example by learning the language of the region, and one way or another, the public authorities must impose this duty to integrate. At the same time, we must also guarantee these people the same rights' (quoted in La Libre Belgique on 10 September 2002).
As far as rights are concerned, the Minister points out that 'statistically speaking, the chances of a native-born Belgian with a physical disability getting a job are higher than those of a young, able-bodied non-native Belgian. We have established recruitment quotas for disabled people, so why can’t we think of a measure for integrating non-native Belgians in terms of recruitment? In Canada and the Netherlands, for example, agreements on this are concluded by employers and trade unions. And in the USA, that bastion of capitalism, they have even introduced quotas!'
In putting forward these proposals, the Minister explained that he mainly wants to move the debate forward by pressuring employers, while at the same time trying to find a solution to a social situation that he believes is 'potentially explosive' in Flanders.
The Minister’s proposals have prompted numerous reactions, all of which focus on the issue of quotas.
Generally speaking, most of the reactions have been negative. For example, while speaking out in favour of the integration policy for migrants, the Belgian Federation of Enterprises (Fédération des Entreprises de Belgique/ Verbond van Belgische Ondernemingen, FEB/VBO) swiftly rejected the idea of recruitment quotas. According to employers' organisation, the voluntary approach developed by employers since 1998 is bearing fruit, and it claims that the 17% reduction between 1998 and 2001 in the number of unemployed non-European migrants is proof of this. FEB/VBO also states that the imposition of a quota would further strain industrial relations in enterprises, and thereby reinforce racist attitudes.
On the trade union side, the quota idea was also rejected by the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Confédération des Syndicats Chrétiens/ Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond, CSC/ACV). CSC/ACV argues that it is important above all to strengthen positive integration measures, particularly in terms of education. More generally, CSC/ACV justified rejection of a recruitment quota policy by stating that it would be difficult to introduce such a measure due to the ethical problems it poses, and that there would be numerous potential perverse effects associated with it. The same cannot be said, according to CSC/ACV, of a shift towards more mandatory measures aimed at giving practical support to wider employment integration among non-native Belgians.
Only the Belgian General Federation of Labour (Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique/ Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond, FGTB/ABVV) came out in favour of a quota system, also to make sure that categories of discriminated-against employee are not forgotten.
To conclude, the Deputy Prime Minister's proposals has served to relaunch debate not only on the widespread nature of recruitment discrimination, but also on the means of combating it.
The moment appears to have been particularly well chosen because of two major developments. First, the social partners are getting ready to negotiate a new intersectoral agreement for 2003-4 (BE0209301N), one section of which might focus on the integration of non-native Belgians. At least, that is the wish articulated by certain commentators on the Minister’s proposals. Second, Belgium is slowly entering a general election campaign, and the issue of foreign workers is also very clearly of a political nature insofar as, like many European countries, Belgium, and mainly Flanders, has not escaped a rise in the far-right vote for several years. (Jean Vandewattyne, Institut des Sciences du Travail, UCL)