Belgium sees steepest drop in trade union membership across Europe
As protesters gradually leave Brussels following another day of industrial action, a new study by the Institute of Economic Research in Germany (IW) reveals that Belgium has witnessed the most significant decline in trade union membership between 2016 and 2023. The report confirms a broader downward trend across Europe.
The IW analysed unionisation rates among employees. They excluded the unemployed and retirees. This analysis was done in 14 European countries. Membership fell in 13 of these countries, with Austria being the sole exception, where it rose from 27.8 per cent to 32.1 per cent.
Belgium saw the most pronounced decline, with union membership dropping from 52.4 per cent in 2016 to 39 per cent in 2023. The rate remains higher in manufacturing (54.2 per cent) than in the services sector (35 per cent).
Despite this decrease, Belgium still ranks fourth among the countries surveyed, behind Sweden (72.3 per cent), Finland (67.8 per cent) and Norway (57.5 per cent). The lowest rates were recorded in Hungary (5.6 per cent), Poland (7.8 per cent), and France (9.1 per cent).
Difficulty attracting young members
According to the IW, one of the main reasons for the decline is unions' difficulty in attracting younger members. In Belgium, for example, only 24.5 per cent of workers aged 16 to 30 were unionised in 2023, compared to 39.8 per cent of those aged 31 to 50, and 47.4 per cent of those aged 51 to 65.
Men are still slightly more likely to be union members than women — 40.2 per cent versus 37.6 per cent — though the gender gap has narrowed in recent years.
On Tuesday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels once more, putting pressure on Prime Minister Bart De Wever and his fragile coalition. The protest, organised by trade unions, was held in opposition to the government’s austerity plans. Several dozen individuals were detained by Brussels police after violent clashes broke out. This followed incidents in which masked demonstrators threw projectiles, paint bombs and fireworks at the Immigration Office building on Rue Pacheco.
© NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
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