After lengthy negotiations, the social partners in the Belgian construction sector finally concluded a sectoral agreement for 2001-2 in June 2001. The main point of controversy had been the introduction of a specific form of temporary agency work in the industry.
In June 2001, negotiations in the Belgian construction sector over a new two-year collective agreement for 160,000 blue-collar workers, in line with the 2001-2 national intersectoral agreement, are deadlocked. The stumbling block is the question of lifting the current ban on temporary agency work in
In January 2001, the increased pace of the opening up of Europe's electricity production and distribution markets to competition led Belgium's Electrabel electricity company to revise its plan for adaptation to the new market situation. Management announced that the reorganisation of the sector
On 22 December 2000, Belgium's central trade union and employers' organisations formally signed an intersectoral collective agreement for 2001-2. The accord provides for an indicative pay norm of an increase of 6.4% over two years (or up to 7% in well-performing sectors), as well as provisions on
At the federal level, a blue-red-green "rainbow" coalition has been in power since June 1999, made up of six parties: Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (VLD) (Flemish liberals); Parti Réformateur Libéral-Front Démocratique des Francophones-Mouvement du Citoyen pour le Changement (PRL-FDF-MCC) (French
In September-October 2000, a major strike occurred in public bus transport companies in Belgium's Wallonia region. The strike lasted more than 30 days before the negotiators reached a agreement. The dispute was resolved when the regional government provided more funds to finance pay increases.
On 11 September 2000, against the background of increasing fuel prices and subsequent unrest among lorry drivers, a meeting was held between the road haulage employers' federations and the federal minister for mobility, Isabelle Durant, in an attempt to negotiate on conditions in the sector. The
In June 2000, construction workers' trade unions from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands agreed a joint declaration on measures to seek harmonisation of working conditions in the industry. They also signed an innovative cooperation agreement, which comes into force on 1 October 2000, providing for
With the Belgian economy experiencing rapid growth, trade unions are keen to ensure that workers receive their share of the bounty. The question is how this is to be achieved, given that statutory wage restraint has been in place since the slump years. For its part, in July 2000 the government
In May 2000, the Belgian Minister of Employment and Labour, Laurette Onkelinx, announced a plan on "modernising work organisation and working time", including measures such as a four-day working week, a 35-hour working week and a system of time credits. Trade unions are unhappy that the Minister is