Editorial

The coronavirus continues to be the topic of conversation everywhere: in the press, at work, in the shop, etc. However, everyone is getting tired of it. I am fed up with the daily coronavirus news on Radio 1 and prefer to switch to Studio Brussel. Employees tell me that they need offline contact with others, a chat at the coffee machine, a meeting in a real room, etc. The limits of telework, online meetings, sharing screens and isolation have been reached. Reading the testimony of freelance dancer Wolf in this issue really touches me. Many employees have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus, which cost them a part of their identity as well. Their job defines who they are.

However, the crisis has its positive sides too. It seems as if the crisis has enabled us to listen to each other and clearly see our challenges. I can see a lot of enthusiasm to find solutions together. At home, we also acknowledge each other’s experiences. The same phenomenon can be seen (partly) in the social dialogue.

At a national level, a (temporary) collective labour agreement about telework was developed during the coronavirus crisis. ACV Kader has worked hard to make the executives’ role a topic in the dialogue with the employers. We have succeeded and we are very proud of that. ‘Supportive leadership’ deserves a fundamental place in sound management, more than ever. Now that many employees are struggling with isolation, or have to function in precarious family situations, executives have an important role to play in the connection between employees and their team. With ACV, we stimulate our employee delegates to prioritise that connection between employees.

In enterprises, we also see wonderful examples of social dialogue. At HP, the employees and management reached an agreement about a greener mobility policy. It is an inspiring case which proves that participation helps everyone move forward. Participation will be necessary in the many companies where employees and employers have to find mobility solutions together in a quickly evolving context.

The recent judgment issued by the Labour Court of Antwerp about the exclusion of the trade union delegation in the company 3M sets the course for the future of constructive dialogue. Whether you are an executive, knowledge worker or manager, you can enter into a collective conversation with your colleagues and the employer, about the issues that matter to you. This way, you can enter into fair and binding agreements, which is better for everyone.