Compulsory community service for the long-term unemployed still taboo in Brussels

On 1 January 2023, the Flemish government introduced compulsory community service to engage long-term unemployed people who have been without a job for more than two years in socially relevant tasks. The N-VA’s resolution to introduce the system in Brussels as well was voted down. Even Open Vld, which helped introduce the measure in Flanders, abstained. Brussels MP Gilles Verstraeten is not surprised: “There is little interest and enthusiasm in Brussels for activation employment measures. In this respect, the difference in philosophy with Flanders is still wide.”

Compulsory community service makes it possible to actively engage the long-term unemployed for socially relevant and accessible tasks at local administrations, non-profit organisations and schools as a stepping stone to regular work. This could include support at events, the parks department, passenger transport or helping out at a school. “It must be a lever for societal, social and professional integration. Community service ensures that long-term unemployed people with a huge distance to the labour market can develop a working rhythm and strengthen competences in a way that is accessible and nearby. In addition, they contribute to society,” says Verstraeten. “It will also allow them to demonstrate the willingness to work. If job seekers refuse this measure on the path to work, they can in fact be sanctioned.”

40,000 long-term unemployed people in Brussels

Verstraeten is convinced that compulsory community service can also provide added value in Brussels: “There are more than 40,000 long-term unemployed people in Brussels today, more than half of whom have been unemployed for over five years. As a result, these people are often simply not considered by employers. Yet each of them deserves a suitable job and an opportunity to move out of isolation. With a measure such as this, we are proving that we have not given up on this group of unemployed people, but are actually trying to involve them. We can also emphasise Brussels accents, such as prioritising the acquisition or improvement of the knowledge of Dutch and French.”

Open Vld abstains

Verstraeten defended compulsory community service for the long-term unemployed in the Brussels Parliament’s Employment Committee. Unsuccessfully, because the resolution did not make it. Open Vld, which helped introduce the measure in Flanders, abstained. Verstraeten: “Unemployment is a huge problem in Brussels, but the government is using the levers it has insufficiently, if at all. Only the N-VA consistently keeps introducing activation measures. This measure has been introduced in Flanders, as have the job Bonus Career break for the calculation of, specifically, civil servant’s pension. In order to obtain the annual pension amount in the public sector, the reference salary is multiplied by the number of employment years. That result is then multiplied by the 1/60 career break, the so-called bonus. An advantageous break applies for certain employees, so that they can reach the maximum pension more quickly. bonus and compulsory registration for living wage earners and Ukrainians with the VDAB The Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding (VDAB, Flemish Public Employment and Professional Training Service) is a Flemish public service that coordinates supply and demand in the employment market, with its main task consisting of serving as an intermediary for job seekers and providing them with support in getting back to work. Since the State reform in 1989, job placement has been a competence of the Regions and job training a competence of the Communities. The VDAB’s counterpart in Wallonia is Forem, and Actiris in Brussels. VDAB (Flemish Public Employment and Professional Training Service).  In Brussels, there is only a mandatory competence scale, although the PS and Ecolo parties are unable to utter the word ‘mandatory’ during debates. When it comes to labour market policy and the activation of job seekers, the difference in philosophy between Brussels and Flanders is clearly enormously wide. Too wide.”