The structure of social dialogue in Belgium: an international comparison

The ILO will participate in a seminar on the Belgian system of collective bargaining.

On Thursday 25 October, the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue organizes a seminar on the Belgian system of collective bargaining from an international perspective. This seminar is the third event of a series of activities on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Law on Collective bargaining agreements and Joint Committees.

During the afternoon, there will be speakers from the ILO, OECD and Eurofound. They will discuss the international situation from different angles. Subsequently, a number of representatives of Belgian social partners will be invited to respond in a panel discussion.

Programme

13h30 Welcome coffee
14h00 Introduction by Jan Vanthuyne, acting president / chairman of the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue
14h10 Comparison of the collective bargaining system at the international level by:
  • David Foden (Eurofound) - The Belgian industrial relations system in a comparative perspective: a typology
  • Susan Hayter (ILO) - Collective Agreements: Inclusive Labour Protection
  • Andrea Garnero (OECD) - The role of collective bargaining in a changing world of work
15h15 Q&A with the audience
15h30 Panel discussion: reactions and reflections from Belgian social partners on the preceding presentations. Moderator: Rudi Delarue (European Commission)
  • Anke Grooten (FEVIA)
  • Annick Hellebuyck (VBO)
  • Erwin De Deyn (ABVV-BBTK)
  • Chris Serroyen (ACV)
16h10 Conclusion
16h20 Drinks

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in French, Dutch and English.