The Belgian Union of Transport Workers ( nl, Belgische Transportbond, BTB; french: Union Belge du Transport, UBT) is a
trade union representing transport workers in
Belgium.
History
The union was founded on 6 June 1913, with the merger of numerous local port, sailors' and transport workers' unions, giving it an initial membership of 8,000. During
World War I, the union was largely inactive, but it was revived in 1919, and created a new section for ships' stewards.
The union was successful in the early 1920s, and in 1925 was able to fund the construction of a
sanatorium, De Mick. It took part in a major strike at the port in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, in 1928, and then in the Belgian general strike of 1936. During
World War II, the union was forced to stop activity in the Netherlands, but a few leaders including
Omer Becu escaped to the United Kingdom and were able to keep the union running from there.
In 1947, the
Belgian Union of Tramway and Municipal Transport Workers The Union of Tramway and Municipal Transport Workers ( nl, Belgische Centrale Van Tram- Buurtspoorweg- en Autobuspersoneel, BCTBAP; french: Centrale Belge du personnel des tramways, vicinaux et autobus, CBPT) was a trade union representing public se ...
merged into the union, and immediately became its largest sector, just ahead of its port membership, but it split away again in the early 1950s. Despite this, membership peaked at 32,224 in 1958, then gradually fell, to only 23,225 in 1995. Since then, its membership has increased, reaching 46,068 in 2010.
As of 2011, the union has two sections: Ports, Road Transport and Logistics; and Maritime.
Presidents
:1913: Piet Somers
:1919: Henri Van Eyken
:1935: Frans Daems
:1945:
Omer Becu
:1950:
Roger Dekeyzer
Roger Dekeyzer (18 June 1906 – 16 December 1992) was a Belgian trade union leader.
Born in Ostend, Dekeyzer became an English teacher, and the unpaid secretary of the Socialist Union of Education Workers of West Flanders. In 1925, he joined ...
:1971: Ward Cassiers
:1977: Louis Eggers
:1982: Egide Baudet
:1987: Remi Van Cant
:1991: Martin Devolder
:1995: Alfons Geeraerts
:2001: Ivan Victor
:2016: Frank Moreels
Further reading
BTB 100: Ten key moments in the history of the Belgian Transport Workers' Union
External links
*{{official website, https://www.btb-abvv.be/
References
Transportation trade unions
Trade unions in Belgium
Trade unions established in 1913
1913 establishments in Belgium