An atmosphere for frying herring

Industrial relations in the port of Antwerp 1880-1972

A flexible labor organization is one of the key priorities that port companies and port authorities prioritize to demonstrate their performance. High labor productivity, continuous service, and skilled personnel are essential for convincing major shipping companies to call at their main port. A high-performance labor organization is therefore an essential and vital component of a port's competitiveness. In Antwerp, joint consultation between employers and unions has been the cornerstone of this labor organization since 1919. It must also guarantee a constructive atmosphere and mutual respect.
In this book, Stephan Vanfraechem reconstructs a century of social dialogue in the port of Antwerp. The green felt of the negotiating table serves as the backdrop, highlighting the ruptures, the motives of the various players, and the successive phases of social peace and unrest. Starting with the first unions in 1880 and ending with the implementation of the Major Act in 1972, the book spans nearly 100 years of social history in the port of Antwerp.

Stephan Vanfraechem
Academia Press/Amsab-ISG, Ghent, 2005, 553 p., softcover