Yesterday Belgium finally agreed upon a Labour Bill that could see a major shake-up of working weeks; in some cases allowing employees to shift to four days from five. As ever with big changes, the new bill still has to run the gauntlet of social partners and Parliament before being formally adopted so don't bank on a three-day weekend just yet.
The bill also set out clearer and more robust protections for platform workers, an issue the government has been trying to figure out for some time. This should provide those working for companies such as Deliveroo and Uber with security that they had hitherto been denied such as sick pay or coverage in the event of a work accident.
Yet despite these steps in the right direction, there are still parts of the Belgian workforce who benefit from few protections – or even remuneration in the case of many internships. Latest figures reveal that Belgium has the highest rate of unpaid internships of any EU country with only one in five getting paid for their efforts.
Internships are often a key first step in many professions and a prerequisite for future employment. So it seems clear that they should be open and accessible to all, not simply those who have the financial and domestic stability to put in several weeks (sometimes months) of uncompensated work.
Belgium's Labour Minister has rightly described this as "a form of unfair competition" that "reinforces inequalities in our labour market." Which is why Belgium has signed up to the European Social Charter which seeks to prevent the exploitation of young labour.
And whilst this is a positive move, it will require more than just a charter (that isn't legally binding) to level the playing field: employers will also have to accept that it is neither reasonable nor fair to expect anyone to work for free. In the long run, this will be to the benefit of all.
Were you paid for your internship? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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