The federal government presented its labor market reform this week. It establishes, among other things, the 4-day week, the right to training and even more flexible rules on night work. The aim of these measures: to achieve an employment rate of 80% by 2030. Alongside this quantified objective, another surprising statistic: Walloons are working less and less in Flanders. This question was at the center of a debate on the show C’est pas tous les jours on Sunday.
It all starts with a promise. Today is October 1, 2020. Statement by newly appointed Prime Minister Alexander De Croo: “The government intends to reward work and thus support the most vulnerable groups towards employment and strive for an employment rate by 2030“.
Confirmation in the text. In the government agreement, page 6, chapter entitled “A prosperous country”: it says that the government will aim for a minimum employment rate of 80% by 2030.
This week, precisely, the federal government presented its major employment reform. This is particularly a question of a 4-day week or night work in e-commerce.
That means 685,000 people to put back to work. There are 300,000 unemployed…
On the set of the show It’s not every day on Sunday, a major criticism is launched. It comes to us from Thierry Bodson, president of the FGTB union. For him, the 80% employment rate is simply unreal.
“The worse is yet to come. We talked about the employment rate at 80%, that means 685,000 people to put back to work. There are 300,000 unemployed“, explains Thierry Bodson. The presenter of the program points out that there are also 500,000 long-term patients. “Yes, and I’ll give you my ticket that in a month or two, the government will come up with measures to put the sick and disabled back to work“, reacts the boss of the socialist union.
Employment and unemployment rates in Belgium
Currently, the employment rate in Belgium is 71.4%. There are, however, strong disparities.
- Brussels region: 62.6%.
- Wallonie: 65,8%.
- Flanders: 76.2%.
These percentages correspond to people between the ages of 20 and 64 who are currently employed.
As for the unemployment rate, here are the figures for each region.
- Flanders: 4%.
- Wallonie: 9%.
- Brussels: 13%.
A Flemish boss: “40 workers from France, 40 workers from abroad, and only two from Wallonia”
These figures indicate a need for workers in Flanders… despite this, fewer and fewer French speakers are going to work in Flanders. In 2008, 68,644 Walloons worked in Flanders, compared to 56,092 in 2019, i.e. a drop of 18%.
How to explain it? We asked the boss of a successful Flemish company, Paul Renson. “I studied in Brussels being the only Dutch speaker with 12 French speakers. I can tell you that we had a very good understanding, so I don’t see why we couldn’t work together“, he explains from his own experience.
The Renson company is located in Waregem, a few kilometers from Mouscron and Tournai, but also from France. “We have strongly engaged but we are still looking for 100 people. There are 40 workers from France, 40 workers from abroad, and only two from Wallonia, even though we are 20 kilometers from the linguistic border“, confie Paul Renson.
A language and mentality problem?
During a sequence filmed before the broadcast, our presenter Christophe Deborsu interviewed random Walloons in Mons. The question: if you no longer had a job, would you go to work in Flanders? Many of them highlight the language barrier and a Flemish mentality that would be more “strict“.
“I don’t speak Flemish. If I can speak French yes, but I’m afraid that I will be forced to speak Dutch“, confides a young woman. “No, I don’t speak Dutch. It’s more the language… The mentality, maybe too. They are a little colder“says a young man.
Another young woman, however, spoke of her positive experience in Flanders. “I have already been to Flanders several times with my parents during the holidays. Even if there is a stereotype that Flemings are not very nice, personally I have no problem with them“, she reacts.
A form of avowed denigration of Wallonia
According to a witness who contacted us, the situation for Walloon workers in Flanders is not idyllic. He relays his experience to us in writing. “I gradually discovered the practices used internally in order to allow what I call ‘a transfer of added value’ from Wallonia to Flanders“, he wrote to us.
This witness specifies that the management committee of the company where he worked was composed exclusively of Dutch speakers, despite dozens of employees in Wallonia. “All key positions are occupied by Flemings who do not know the Walloon market and there is an undervaluation of the economic potential of Wallonia“, he confides. He describes an unequal salary policy between the Walloons and the Flemings for equivalent functions, or even internal communication “not always respectful between the two languages“. “And above all, a form of avowed denigration of Wallonia: poor region, little economic potential, staff difficult to manage…“, concludes the witness.
My experience in Flanders is very positive
The program It’s not every day on Sunday gave the floor to another Walloon worker who left to live and work in Flanders. Does he notice this kind of excesses or clichés on the Walloons? “It’s true that we can sometimes hear that the Walloon is unemployed“, indicates Tommy. According to him, however, it is not generalized.My experience in Flanders is very positive. I have colleagues who want to learn and communicate with me in French. I did what was necessary. I took Dutch lessons and tried to integrate myself as much as possible into the Flemish culture“, he says.
What is striking is that the Poles find the way to work in Flanders much more easily
We made the federal deputy N-VA Björn Anseeuw react on the testimony of the Walloon worker who encountered difficulties in Flanders. Doesn’t the Flemish nationalist party stir up this kind of situation by regularly repeating that Wallonia lives on the hook of Flanders? “I really don’t think so, because we think everyone’s well-being and the prosperity of the country are very important. What is striking is that the Poles find the way to work in Flanders much more easily than the Walloon neighbors“, replies the parliamentarian.
“I believe that the only solution, or the only statement, is that the incentive to work is apparently much stronger in Poland than in Belgium. We have to do something, have a start to limit unemployment over time“, he adds.
An inter-federal platform created
Guest on the show, the Federal Minister for Employment, Pierre-Yves Dermagne, indicates that he has launched with the Flemish and Walloon ministers an inter-federal platform to promote inter-regional mobility. “I think we also have to deconstruct certain clichés about the fact that it’s difficult to work in Flanders. Besides that, there are a series of elements to put in place in terms of mobility. Make sure to have bus and train lines. These are practical questions, but they are important“, specifies the socialist minister.
We know that at Forem level we no longer activate job seekers
For his part, the Minister of Independents affirms that “activation by the regions and the incentive to be able to find work on the other side is not enough“. “Since the covid crisis, we know that at Forem level we no longer activate job seekers. So it is also time for the regions to be a little more proactive in this regard. Regions must take responsibility“, points out David Clarinval.
Remember that the minister’s party, the Reform Movement, also participates in the Walloon government, with the PS and Ecolo.
Other studies have shown that Walloon workers are particularly mobile
The president of the FGTB intervened in the debate. “Other studies have shown that Walloon workers were particularly mobile. When we see the percentage of workers who go to France, to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, even to Germany, in fact there are a lot of Walloon workers who cross the borders“, he reacts.
The boss of the socialist union admits not understanding why the Walloons seem to be turning away from the Flemish labor market. “It’s a real question. There are answers to be found. I do not have the answer. But in any case we must stop saying that the Walloon worker is not mobile“.