1 Presentation

2 General information Flemish Association of Construction SME’s Founded in 1959 Structure: non-profit organization 8,000 member enterprises Member of Unizo (the Flemish Association of SME’s – interprofessional level) Member of EBC

3 General information 85,000 members (interprofessional) 11 regional offices Information: “ZO-magazine” (2/month) Website: Target groups: “Startersservice” Mentorship projects “KMO-Contact”

4 Objectives of BOUWUNIE Defence of interests of self-employed and SME’s in the construction industry Elaboration of extensive service package Distribution of information and training Contacts and networking Since 2006, active structure in the 5 Flemish provinces

5 General structure Bouwunie on national level General Assembly Board of directors Management committee Bouwunie on regional (= provincial) level Office in every province (5) Bouwunie on professional level: general entrepreneurs and construction works, joiners and interior builders, painters and decoration, sanitary system and heating installation, wiring and pipe works / road works, plasterers, electricians Target groups: flooring, kitcheninstallers 19 collaboraters

6 Activities – Defence of interests (1) Representations : In construction related commissions on federal and regional level: joint committees 124 and 126, Health and Safety Fund (NAVB- CNAC), Training and Education Fund (FVB-FFC), Registration Commissions, Acknowledgement Commission,... = social dialogue Consultation with authorities and instances Priorities: energy saving measures, fight against undeclared work, VAT-reglementation, social affairs, taxes, shortage of buildingsites, additional activities,...

7 Activities – Defence of interests (2) Lobbying: In parliamentary fractions, administrations, cabinets,…) Influence on decision-making and legislation Press reports

8 Activities – Advice and information Personalized advice and assistance of advisers Social security, social affairs and tax law Assistance on legal and tax matters: contracts Commercial law Environment, waste and soil regulations Health and safety Advice on hard-/software-tools Training and education Help with registration- and acknowledgement-regulation Reimbursement of guaranteed salaries (in case of illness) Cautions

9 Activities – Advice and information General information Monthly magazine BOUWNIEUWS Regional quarterly magazines (paper and electronic) Faxmailings, mailnews / electronic 'bouwflash‘ (monthly) Electronic sectoral newsletters Mailings with target news Website (with “member only” section)

10 Activities – Advice and information General information Publications, practical guides in pocket-size, brochures, studies,… on environment, waste, safety at work, VAT, contracts, social law, tax law, commercial law,…

11 Activities – Advice and information Information via electronic way: Overview of activities (on line subscription) Extended articles (“dossiers”) Search engine finding companies Shop Building barometer “Member only” section: w ages, indicative prices, various index figures,holiday periods,…

12 Activities – Advice and information Products Cd-rom “texts of the tariff agreements in the construction sector” = social dialogue Cd-rom “models of letters and contracts” Cd-rom health and safety (prevention-plan) Calculation norms and indicative prices for the construction industry Cd-rom “Safety instruction sheets for the construction sector” …

13 Activities – Advice and services Documents VAT-attestations Attestations: cleaning & maintenance of heating installations Attestations: energy-saving measures Model: « Labour regulations » Model: « labour contracts », contracts between entreprises Distribution of social documents Service agreements Imputations Economic enquiries « Grondwijzer » (specific service for soil matters) Caution Fund

14 Initiatives – Information meetings General themes: Cooperation with companies and construction workers from the new EU-member states Prevention of theft on building sites Road-show communication and informatics 1x/year: information day for future entrepreneurs (in cooperation with UNIZO) …

15 Initiatives – Information meetings Sectoral themes: Installers (new legislation maintenance of heating installations, waterquality, ventilation, …) Joiners (CE-marking, automatization on the working place,…) Infrastructure works (safety) Painters (waterbased paintings, contractual responsability, color and decoration trends,…) General entrepreneurs (renovation, acoustics,…)

16 Initiatives – Activities for members Information meetings Networking (yearly “Golden Brick”, regional drinks) Visits of building sites Visits of schools, training centers,… New products / techniques with manufacturers, distributors,…

17 Bouwunie – collaboration with partners KMO-Direct (electronic counter) Social secretariats (wage calculations, recruitment and selection) SVMB (social security fund for self-employed) OVMB (additional insurances) ADMB (child allowance fund) Provikmo (external prevention-service on safety and health for SME’s) VEKMO (service & advice for environmental issues)

18 Contact BOUWUNIE Spastraat 8 B-1000 Brussel Tel Fax