Catherine Delbar

The issue of works councils and similar workplace employee representation and participation structures is topical at present, with the EU Member States required to implement the recent Directive (2002/14/EC) [1] establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European

Belgium's next round of four-yearly 'social elections' of employee representatives on works councils and committees for prevention and protection at the workplace will take place in May 2004. This article sets out the election timetable and procedure and examines a number of changes made since the

EU Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services [1] seeks to avoid 'social dumping' by ensuring that a minimum set of rights is guaranteed for workers posted by their employer to work in another country. The basic principle is that the working

At federal level, a 'rainbow' coalition has been in power since June 1999, made up of six parties:

In January 2003, despite difficult negotiations on issues such as the available margin for pay increases, the Belgian social partners signed a new intersectoral agreement that fixes the framework for collective bargaining in the whole of the private sector over 2003-4. While the signatory parties

In late 2002, the Belgian social partners are discussing a new intersectoral agreement for 2003-4. The maximum margins for growth in wage costs over the next two years are central to the talks. In early November, the Central Economic Council published its technical report providing an indication of

In October 2002, an explosion led to the death of two temporary agency workers, and seriously injured more than 20 other workers, at a Cockerill Sambre iron and steel plant in Belgium. This accident has revived debate on workplace safety, particularly in respect of subcontractors and agency workers

This feature examines social partner involvement in Belgium's 2002 National Action Plan (NAP) for employment. It is one of a set of similar features for all the EU Member States, written in response to a questionnaire.