New merger between unions in textiles and metalworking sectors

A merger has taken place between two sectoral trade unions affiliated to the General Christian Trade Union – one in the textiles and clothing sector and one in the metalworking industry. The formation of the new trade union ACV-CSC Metea is an example of an ongoing process whereby trade unions are increasingly concentrating their activities to ensure better representation and, in turn, improve the quality of membership services and expand support.

Background

On 26 June 2007, two sectoral trade unions – the Christian Union of Textile and Garment Workers (Christelijke Centrale der Textiel- en Kledingsbewerkers van België/Centrale Chrétienne des travailleurs du textile et du vêtement de Belgique, CCTKB) in the textiles and clothing industry, and the Christian Metalworkers’ Union of Belgium (Christelijke Centrale der Metaalbewerkers van België/Centrale Chrétienne des Métallurgistes de Belgique, CCMB) in the metalworking industry, both of which are affiliated to the General Christian Trade Union Federation (Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond/Confédération des syndicats chrétiens, ACV/CSC) – signed a declaration of intent to start merger discussions. Over two years later, on 10 December 2009, the merger was finally approved by the trade unions’ two member congresses. The new organisation – known as ACV-CSC Metea – represents 240,000 members and 12,000 trade union representatives in traditional industry sectors such as metalworking, steel, textiles and clothing, but also in parts of the construction (electricians), retail (garages) and services (laundry) sectors.

Historic significance of merger

Belgium’s textiles and clothing industry has been struck by employment losses for a number of decades. The country’s metalworking industry has also been confronted by job losses. As a result, the blue-collar trade unions of these sectors wanted to ensure better economies of scale in their membership. In particular, CCTKB has, since 2005, been seeking to enter into a partnership to guarantee and improve the quality of membership services and to expand the support of local trade union branches.

From a historical perspective, the disappearance of this textiles and clothing trade union organisation is symbolic, as Belgium’s trade union movement originated in the local branches of this sector in the city of Ghent in the country’s eastern Flanders region at the end of the 19th century. Until the Second World War, trade unions in the textiles and clothing sector were also the strongest, most of them being affiliated to ACV/CSC.

Other trade union mergers and collaborations

This latest merger is a key example of an ongoing process of concentrating activities in the Belgian trade union landscape. For instance, although the three trade union confederations ACV/CSC, the Belgian General Confederation of Labour (Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond/Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique, ABVV/FGTB) and the Federation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (Algemene Centrale der Liberale Vakbonden van België/Centrale Générale des Syndicats Libéraux de Belgique, ACLVB/CGSLB) remain distinctly separate and autonomous, mergers are taking place within these confederations, especially among the organisations representing blue-collar workers.

In ACV/CSC, the largest trade union confederation in Belgium, a merger has been announced between the Construction and Industry Union (ACV Bouw en Industrie/CSC Bâtiment et Industrie, ACV/CSC BI) and the Energy and Chemistry Union (ACV Energie-Chemie/CSC Énergie et Chimie), scheduled to take place in the summer of 2010. As the table below shows, it will result in only six sectoral or occupational trade union organisations within ACV/CSC for the private sector: that is, two trade union organisations defending white-collar workers’ interests, and four union organisations representing blue-collar workers in the private economy.

Furthermore, agreements of collaboration are being signed since 2000, whereby blue-collar workers in certain sectors are being defended by the white-collar trade unions and vice versa, especially in the Flanders region. For example, blue-collar workers in the healthcare sector are being represented by the National Federation of White-collar Workers (Landelijke Bedienden Centrale-Nationaal Verbond van het Kaderpersoneel, LBC-NVK), while white-collar workers in the hotels and restaurants sector or private security services are being represented by the ACV/CSC affiliated Food Services Union (Christelijke Centrale Voeding en Diensten/Centrale Chrétienne de l’Alimentation et des Services, CCVD/CCAS).