Manufacturin Operations in a Foreign Country

Issues and Adjustments for American Companies Establishing

Manufacturing Operations in Foreign Countries

Issues and Adjustments for American Companies Establishing

Manufacturing Operations in Foreign Countries

The labor unions in Belgium are strong. Every type of work has a union. Those unions belong to the large national union confederations. 1 Belgium is a highly unionized country, and organized labor has been a powerful influence in politics, although it seems to be less in recent elections. About 53% of all private sector and public sector employees are labor union members. Unlike American unions, Belgian labor unions take positions on a wide range of political issues, including education, public finance, defense spending, environmental protection, women’s rights, abortion and other issues. They also provide a range of services, including the administration of unemployment benefits and health insurance programs.

3 Belgium’s three principal trade union organizations are the Confederation of Catholic Labor Unions (CSC/ACV), the Belgian Socialist Confederation of Labor (FGTB/ABVV), and the Confederation of Liberal Labor Unions (CGSLB/ACLVB). Until the 1950s, the FGTB/ABVV was the largest confederation; since then however, the CSC/ACV has become the leading trade union force. Although there are many trade union organizations in the United States, some of the main ones are AFL-CIO, American Federation of Labor, Knights of Labor, and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Labor unions in the United States today function as legally recognized representatives of workers in numerous industries, but are strongest among the public sector employees. The labor unions in the USA center mainly on collective bargaining over wages, benefits, and working conditions for their membership and on representing their members is management violates contract provisions. Although down from the

peak membership they achieved in the third quarter of the 20th...