Context

Belgian companies hold so-called “social” elections for appointing employee representatives to company health and safety at work committees and the works councils every 4 years. The next elections are planned for May 2008. The specific rules for these elections are laid down each time in a royal decree.

Issue

The rules on worker representation in small and medium-sized companies should already have been adjusted in line with European law, and with this in mind union and employer representatives had been in negotiations for several months to finalise new rules for the 2008 “social elections”, but without success. Since Belgium still has not formed a new government following the general election on 10 June 2007, the government has not been able to step in and put forward a solution itself.

Solution

Now, union and employer representatives have reached agreement on the 2008 “social elections”. The rules will remain the same as on previous occasions, meaning that a health and safety at work committee will only have to be established in firms that normally employ 50 persons in 2007 and a works council in firms that employ 100.

The agreement reached still requires a change of law, but no political hurdle is expected in that regard. Before the end of 2007, however, employer and worker bodies still need to agree a directive on representation in small and medium-sized companies, but this will then only impact the “social elections” in 2012.

Link to the announcement of the Belgian Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue:
FR: http://news.hrservices.be?lk200709181
NL: http://news.hrservices.be?lk200709182