The Trade Union Commission (, SK; , CS) was a national trade union federation in Belgium.
History The federation was established on 11 April 1898, at a conference of the Belgian Workers' Party (BWP). It hoped to increase union membership, while linking unions with the BWP and the socialist movement. It initially focused on lobbying for legislation to improve working conditions, and encouraging affiliated unions to merge. From 1903, it published the Korrespondentieblad journal.
In its early years, the SK made some headway in obtaining compensation for workplace injuries, and a state pension. In 1902, it led a general strike in support of universal suffrage, a key policy of the BWP. However, the strike failed, and more than half the SK's membership then left. From 1905, the SK became increasingly independent of the BWP, firstly by removing the party's ability to nominate half of its executive, then from 1906 by admitting unions which did not themselves affiliate with the BWP. In 1913, the union led another general strike, and this proved more successful, ultimately leading to universal suffrage in 1919. Around this time, it also secured the right for state employees to join unions, and the abolition of a law which targeted radical trade unionists with lengthy prison sentences.
From 1921, the affiliated membership of the SK declined, as the country entered a long depression. The federation managed to obtain some further improvements in working conditions in the 1920s, and persuaded more of its affiliates to merge. The 1930s saw the economic situation worsen, and some gains were lost, but a major strike in 1936, led by the SK but backed by the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium and the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions, obtained major gains including paid leave, a minimum wage, and a 40-hour working week for many workers.
In 1937, the SK decided that it needed to adopt a more centralised structure, and gain more independence from the BWP. As a result, at the end of the year, it reformed itself as the General Labour Confederation of Belgium.
Affiliates Union Flemish abbreviation French abbreviation Membership (1920) Association of Tailors' Cutters 118 Belgian Typographical Federation BTF FTB 4,858 Belgian Union of Tramway and Municipal Transport Workers CBPT BCTBAP 9,184 Belgian Union of Transport Workers UTB BTB 27,520 Central Union of Public Service Workers COD 10,981 Federation of the Glove Industry 807 General Clerks' Union 10,250 General Diamond Workers' Association of Belgium ADB 7,858 Leather Workers' Union 7,547 National Food Federation HORVAL HORVAL 8,250 National Union of Civil Defence Staff 2,117 National Union of Rail, Post, Telegraph, Telephone, Marine and Aviation Workers IJPTTZL ChPTTMA 90,013 National Federation of Jewellery and Related Trades 740 Socialist Union of Education Workers CSOP 2,026 Tobacco Workers' Union 9,000 Union of Belgian Stoneworkers COPB 25,300 Union of Belgian Textile Workers COTB TACB 52,152 Union of Bookbinders 1,987 Union of Clothing Workers and Kindred Trades in Belgium CKAVB CVPS 6,357 Union of Cobblers 1,303 Union of Construction and Wood 68,340 Union of Factory Workers 51,283 Union of Glass Warehouse Workers 1,050 Central Union of Belgian Glassworkers 8,959 Union of Hatters 958 Union of Lithographers 1,108 Union of Mineworkers of Belgium CSTMB NCMB 112,964 Union of Socialist Journalists 48 Union of the Belgian Metal Industry CMB CMB 139,413
Leadership Presidents 1911: Jules Solau 1930: Jean Baeck 1931: Edward De Vlaemynck
General secretaries 1921: Corneel Mertens
References