125 years of BBTK

The Union of Employees, Technicians and Managers (BBTK) has a history spanning over 125 years. This history is described in this book, from the founding of the first socialist white-collar union in 1891 in Brussels, through the period after the First World War—when the government believed white-collar workers did not require social protection—to the development of modern socialist white-collar unionism. With the growth and feminization of the service sector, the BBTK developed into an intersectoral union present in all private sectors. It is innovative, as evidenced by the important agreement with the General Federation on the principle of one federation per sector, covering 47 joint committees. It is also open to collaboration with other unions, both within and outside the ABVV (General Federation of Workers' Associations). Finally, one of the BBTK's unique features is that it is a union with a predominantly female membership.
To reconstruct the fascinating evolution of the BBTK, the authors delved into old and recent archives, collecting facts, figures, and reports. From the packers, shop assistants, and clerks of yesteryear to employees with diverse backgrounds in small and large businesses and institutions, it is the history of a single struggle for the benefit of everyone, regardless of their position on the social ladder.
This book is dedicated to them.

There is also a French version: 125 ans SETCA

Camille Baillargeon & Luc Peiren
Amsab-ISG/BBTK/IHOES/Tijdsbeeld & Pièce Montée, Ghent/Brussels/Seraing, 319 p., ill., softcover