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12-578: The federation was established on 11 April 1898, at a conference of the Belgian Workers' Party (BWP). It hoped to increase union membership, while linking unions with the BWP and the socialist movement . It initially focused on lobbying for legislation to improve working conditions, and encouraging affiliated unions to merge. From 1903, it published the Korrespondentieblad journal. In its early years,

24-609: A long depression. The federation managed to obtain some further improvements in working conditions in the 1920s, and persuaded more of its affiliates to merge. The 1930s saw the economic situation worsen, and some gains were lost, but a major strike in 1936, led by the SK but backed by the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium and the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions , obtained major gains including paid leave,

36-517: A minimum wage, and a 40-hour working week for many workers. In 1937, the SK decided that it needed to adopt a more centralised structure, and gain more independence from the BWP. As a result, at the end of the year, it reformed itself as the General Labour Confederation of Belgium . Belgian Workers%27 Party The Belgian Labour Party ( Dutch : Belgische Werkliedenpartij , BWP ; French : Parti ouvrier belge , POB )

48-723: The Belgian Labour Party received the most votes in the Chamber of Representatives elections, the Catholic Party remained the largest party in both the Chamber and the Senate . Voter turnout was 88.5% in the Chamber elections. They were the first elections after the First World War , and the first with universal single-vote suffrage (for men), a change that was sought by and benefited

60-399: The BWP. In 1913, the union led another general strike, and this proved more successful, ultimately leading to universal suffrage in 1919. Around this time, it also secured the right for state employees to join unions, and the abolition of a law which targeted radical trade unionists with lengthy prison sentences. From 1921, the affiliated membership of the SK declined, as the country entered

72-544: The Belgian Labour Party (POB or BWP) was created. Several groups had been represented at this meeting, including the BSP of Edward Anseele . The members were mainly craftsmen and not workers from industrial centres (with the exception of Ghent ). When drafting a programme for the new party, it was feared that a radical programme would deter workers. On that basis it was decided that the word socialism would not be mentioned in

84-645: The Labour Party to get parliamentary seats in Flanders , and the Ghent socialist leader, Edward Anseele, was elected in Liège . After 1919, universal male suffrage and proportional representation greatly enhanced the party's parliamentary strength and it participated in several governments. In the 1919 election , the Belgian Labour Party won 36.6% of the vote and increased their parliamentary representation from 26 to 70 seats. This

96-484: The SK made some headway in obtaining compensation for workplace injuries, and a state pension. In 1902, it led a general strike in support of universal suffrage , a key policy of the BWP. However, the strike failed, and more than half the SK's membership then left. From 1905, the SK became increasingly independent of the BWP, firstly by removing the party's ability to nominate half of its executive, then from 1906 by admitting unions which did not themselves affiliate with

108-552: The name of the party, a point of view which was also defended by Cesar De Paepe (1841–1890). The Charter of Quaregnon (located in this municipality and not in Mons because of the Garde Civique ' s 'fusillade of Mons' ), of 1894 provided the doctrinal basis for the Belgian socialists from 1894 until 1979. Before 1919, the district system in Belgian elections made it almost impossible for

120-717: Was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1940. After World War II , most of the BWP/POB officials joined to found the Belgian Socialist Party . This election saw the introduction of Proportional representation (PR) , making Belgium the first country in Europe to adopt said voting system. 1919 Belgian general election General elections were held in Belgium on 16 November 1919. Although

132-487: Was enough to deny the Catholic Party the majority it had enjoyed since 1884, which led the Catholic Party to form a coalition with Labour, forming a cabinet that contained Labour members. The Belgian Labour Party used this opportunity to demand and to have passed reforms such as the repeal of a law that prohibited picketing, an eight-hour workday, old-age pensions, inheritance taxes, and a graduated income tax. The party

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144-599: Was the first major socialist party in Belgium . Founded in 1885, the party was officially disbanded in 1940 and superseded by the Belgian Socialist Party in 1945. In April 1885, a meeting of 112 workers took place in a room of the café De Zwaan on the Grand-Place in Brussels , at the same place where the First International had convened, and where Karl Marx had written The Communist Manifesto . At this meeting

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