List of trade unions in Belgium explained

This article contains a list of trade unions in Belgium.

In Belgium, trade unions are organised along politico-denominational lines, following the pillarisation in Belgian society. Therefore, the three major trade unions are all confederations, each adhering to a particular religion or ideology, namely Christian (Catholic), Socialist and Liberal. Each confederation cuts across industry boundaries, having members working in many different sectors. Only the liberal federation, however, has no subsidiary trade unions.

List of federations

NameIdeologyMembership
Confederation of Christian Trade Unions
Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond (ACV)
Confédération des syndicats chrétiens (CSC)
Social Catholicism1,661,800 (2012)[1]
General Federation of Belgian Labour
Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond (ABVV)
Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique (FGTB)
1,503,700 (2012)
General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium
Algemene Centrale der Liberale Vakbonden van België (ACLVB)
Centrale générale des syndicats libéraux de Belgique (CGSLB)
Liberalism289,700 (2012)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cantiniaux. Geoffrey. Une Syndicalisation Forte Contre l'Augmentation des Inégalités. May 2016. Institut Emile Vandervelde. 18 February 2018.