Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Belgium (Ratification: 1951)

The Committee notes with interest the detailed information contained in the Government's report.

The Committee recalls that it has been commenting for many years on the need to ensure by law that objective, pre-established and detailed criteria are adopted in establishing rules for the access of professional and workers' organizations to the National Labour Council and that, in this respect, the Organic Act of 29 May 1952 instituting the National Labour Council still contains no specific criteria on representativeness but leaves discretionary power to the Government. The Committee notes the information in response to the question of establishing rules for the access of the social partners to the Labour Council and the explanations provided by the Government to the effect that social dialogue is taking place within a particularly difficult context since the National Labour Council constitutes only one of the component parts of the much wider ensemble within which social partnerships develop. Nevertheless, the Committee firmly hopes that the Government will shortly adopt the legal provisions laying down the criteria on representativeness and requests the Government to indicate in its next report any progress achieved in this respect.