(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #227 - Belgian unions: Waking the sleeping water (fr)

Unions in Belgium resemble a sleeping giant huge: 3.5 million members and adherent, a 
unionization rate of 52%. Yet they struggle to mobilize against the austerity cures. But 
the libertarian communists continue to advocate it, recognizing them as a tool. ---- The 
Belgian trade union landscape is structured around three confederations: the General 
Federation of Labour (FGTB), the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (CSC) and the 
General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (CGSLB). As in many countries of 
Northern Europe, unions are highly integrated institutions. This is a real strength of the 
union is also its main weakness. The state delegates much of its social unions such as the 
payment of unemployment benefits. The unionization rate so this is mainly due to provision 
of services.

Powerful unions but paralyzed

This institutionalization and consequent trade unions leads to a bloated bureaucracy off 
the base. The bombastic verve union leaders was matched only by the emptiness of their 
actions. They are currently unable to organize the resistance to austerity. This unhealthy 
dependency on the state is lined with an organic link with the political parties in power 
regularly: FGTB with the Socialist Party, the SCC with the centrist Christian parties and 
CGSLB with center-right parties. All this contributes to a "moral" union disaffection 
which increasingly difficult to mobilize despite a number of adherent and adherent increasing.

However, not everything is black. In recent years there has been a revival of union bases 
determined to reclaim their union apparatus and hand it to their service, and in all the 
confederations, regardless of the state and party power. Include in the Christian movement 
CNE (Center of private employees, CSC), which has imposed a democratic structure and 
control of permanent and permanent. Side "socialist", we can only rejoice at the battle of 
railway workers and the railway Brussels FGTB who succeeded in driving the permanent 
subservient to the Socialist Party (PS), which sabotaged their struggles. The center has 
now become one of the most militant of the country and is relearning democracy assemblies 
basis.

To the autonomy of the social movement

The task is huge and activists libertarian communists have a role to play. While part of 
the Belgian libertarian environment is characterized by a desertion of the struggles on 
the workplace, a fraction of the Belgian far left strives to oust the PS to take its place 
as sister party of the union. It seems clear that it would only replace strings to another 
pair of channels. Rather we must cultivate and strengthen the desire for autonomy and 
independence that is germinating in the major unions! We need to reconnect with the 
traditions of revolutionary unionism and direct action!

Gilles (Brussels AL)