Together at the table

100 years of ABVV Horval

In 1908, the National Federation of Food Workers was founded by the Federation of Chocolate Workers and Confectioners on the one hand, and the National Federation of Bakers' Guests on the other. In 1930, the hospitality industry joined these two unions. In the three engaging chapters of this book, the chocolate workers and confectioners, then the bakers, and finally the hospitality industry staff play the leading roles. The author examines their lives and workplace situations to explore why they formed unions, and then examines their respective unions. However, none of these people would have had a job if there had been no demand for the products they made or the services they provided. Chocolate and bread, cafés, restaurants, and hotels, therefore, play a significant role in the story of these workers, as they each shaped the history and establishment of the Food Federation and—in doing so—the development of the Belgian labor movement.

Annelies Tollet
Amsab-ISG/Horval/Tijdsbeeld & Pièce Montée, Brussels/Ghent, 2008, 208 p., ill., softcover

There is also a French version: Ensemble à table