1. Organising workers in Decathlon Belgian Experience
Peggy Schuermans
LBC-NVK Antwerpen

2. Agenda 1. The Belgian Way 1.1 Social Dialogue in Belgium
1.2 Trade Unions in Belgium
1.3 LBC-NVK?
1.4 Social Elections
2. Decathlon in Belgium
3. The way we
4. Any questions?
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

3. 1.1 Social dialogue in Belgium Belgium = small, but complicated!
1. The Belgian Way
1.1 Social dialogue in Belgium
Belgium = small, but complicated!
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

4. Different levels of social dialogue
1. The Belgian Way
Different levels of social dialogue
- Levels:
National
Sectoral
Company
- Collective labour agreements on all of these levels can be made binding
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

5. Levels of social dialogue
1. The Belgian Way
Levels of social dialogue
Financial-economical
Social/well-being at work
Supreme Council
for prevention
And protection
At work
Central Council
For Trade and Industry
National Labour
Council
National
Special advisory
Commissions
Sectoral
Joint Industrial Committees
Works Council
Committee for prevention
And protection at work
Company
Shops Steward Committee
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

6. Social dialogue at company level
1. The Belgian Way
Social dialogue at company level
Works Council
+ 100 employees
Equal representation of employee and employer representatives
Social elections determine who is going to be an employee representative
Meet monthly
Tasks information and advice
supervision =>Ex.: accounts, holidays,…
decision
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

7. 1. The Belgian Way Social dialogue at company level
Committee for prevention and protection at work
+ 50 employees
Equal representation of employee and employer representatives
Social elections determine who is going to be an employee representative
Tasks advice about global prevention plan
detect risks => Ex.: rate of flexibility, stresslevel,…
prevent risks
NO WORKS COUNCIL=SAME POWER COMMITTEE!
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

8. Social dialogue at company level
1. The Belgian Way
Social dialogue at company level
Shop stewards committee
Appointed by trade unions
Number is fixed by a collective agreement on the branch level
Tasks inform of the workforce
negotiations of collective agreements
assistance in case of individual conflicts
the right to be heard in collective conflicts
Possible - 50 employees, in that case same powers
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

9. 1. The Belgian Way
1.2 Trade Unions in Belgium
=>Christian federation => Socialist federation => Liberal federation
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

10. 1. The Belgian Way Blue Collars White Collars UNI, Gdanks, Poland
Metalworkers
Building, Wood & Industry
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

11. - Largest federation clerical workers/managerial staff
1.The Belgian Way
1.3 LBC-NVK?
- Largest federation clerical workers/managerial staff
- 5 Main branches:
Industry
Services
Non-profit
Distribution (commerce)
Finances
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

12. 1.The Belgian Way
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

13. 1. The Belgian Way 1.4 Social Elections
- Every 4 years in the private sector
- Workers and employees elect their trade union representatives
- Same system political elections
- No obligation to vote, although quite high attendance
Trade Union affiliation: 53 out of 100 employees
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

14. 2. Decathlon in Belgium - 1 Distribution Center - 1600 Employees
- 13 Stores in Belgium (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels Area)
- 1 Distribution Center
Employees
- Forecast coming 2 years: at least 6 new shops workers
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

15. 2. Decathlon in Belgium
- Profile workers: young, sporting, part- time, no children - Out of grace: older, start having families and so less flexible, no more fear - Not really an issue: 35% alteration/year
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

16. 2. Decathlon in Belgium
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

17. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
- In 2008 for the first time candidates for the social elections - Start of the social with representatives from the 3 trade unions. - Within confederation ACV-CSC, computer- system to help us find our members in the different companies.
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

18. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
- Trade Union representatives are part of works council, committee for prevention and protection at work and the shop stewards committee. - What do our representatives really
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

19. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
1. Follow meetings and work activally within this meetings: works council, committee and shop stewards committee 2.Come to our union education:we teach them how to act, negotiate, find new members, the legislation, Single point of contact for their collegues 4.Visit other branches from the group ALL POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF A SYSTEM OF SYNDICAL CREDITS: 14 days/4 years for education, max.12 hours/month for personal contact, meetings = working time.
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

20. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
What do we do as permanent trade union workers? 1. Support our representatives anyway we can 2. We are part of the negotiations 3. Take care of all promotional material - Member lists - Brochures from any subject
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

21. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
- All profiling of our union and our representatives - Direct information service to our members
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

22. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
How do we find new members…
and keep them!
CONTENT
- Good collective agreements: payment Sunday hours en over hours, flexibility, breaks,…
- Let the employees decide what we must fight for!
- Good informed and trained union representatives
PROFILING
- Union premium every year for all affiliates!
- Brand marking: recognizable by view
- Publications
- Promotional material
- Union spot in the shop
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

23. 3. The way we work @ Decathlon
Make it worth joining a trade union!
Not easy =>need to fight for every new member:
- Expensive (15,02 euro/month)
- Young people = not interested
- Not happy? Bye Bye Decathlon
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18

24. 4. Questions
UNI, Gdanks, Poland
feb-18