The event opened with a number of moving testimonies exposing the plight of the thousands of workers employed in diplomatic missions, including undeclared workers, those with special residence cards and workers hired locally. Qualified and distinguished men and women in their prime told of the abuses and humiliation experienced: undeclared work (even for high-level posts in some instances), unfair dismissals, uncounted working hours, employer’s contributions never paid, employees forced to do domestic work - even at the ambassador’s private residence, domestic staff made to work around the clock, wages that do not afford a decent living and are never indexed, zero holiday pay, social security cover rarely in order and, of course, a total ban on the right to unionise, to hold one’s head high and assert one’s rights.
Not all these problems are found in every Embassy, but it is high time things were set to rights. Diplomatic immunity, territorial immunity, must not be used as pretexts for exploiting staff.
The meeting went on to discuss the aims of the inter-union grouping and completed a list of demands.
The afternoon was then devoted to a legal presentation on workers’ rights. At the same times as gaining an overall picture of labour rights, the participants also observed the ambiguities and gaps in the legislation that continue to undermine these workers’ rights today.
The representatives from the two Ministries made the following commitments:
1. To set up a works council with the Labour Ministry to fulfil two missions:
To listen and arbitrate in the event of individual or collective disputes in diplomatic missions
To propose legislation and agreements aimed at guaranteeing enhanced social protection
2. To create a charter, a code of conduct that will be submitted by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to all the heads of diplomatic missions.
These two pledges represent an important and concrete step forward for the inter-union grouping. It will now be possible to deal with the specific problems of each worker and to tackle them at the core with a view to bringing collective and lasting solutions.
The inter-union grouping equipped itself with a 12-person executive at the meeting. This body will drive the implementation of the decisions taken at this crucial event.
The day was marked by a great sense of solidarity and consciousness of the need for unity as well as the resolve to build a future as a sector-based organisation.
Should you wish to join us in our efforts, please contact Mr Fabrice Epis, senior CNE officer, at fabrice.epis@acv-csc.be or by telephone through his secretariat on +32 (0)2 557 86 17.
Chris Terlaeken, LBC full-time official Fabrice Epis, CNE senior officer
More information on the website of the inter-union group of staff from diplomatic mission: Ambactus
