Employment

The port of Brussels is similarly an important source of jobs: 12,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 

 

Apart from fuelling the economy, the port of Brussels and companies based there look also to providing good working terms and conditions for all workers, be they in white collar or dungarees.

They consequently attach great importance to contracts of employment, job security, ongoing training, as well as recruitment policies to foster diversification opportunities and personal job satisfaction. Given the potential dangers of working in a port environment, particular emphasis is also placed on safety and accident prevention, in the interests of both employers and employees.

At present, blue-collar workers account for 52% of the workforce. It is to be noted that, at regional level within Brussels, they represent less than 20% of employees on a monthly payroll. Nearly half (45.4%) of the white-collar employees at the port of Brussels live in the Brussels-Capital region.  For blue-collar workers, this proportion is 60%.

These figures alone illustrate how the port of Brussels also contributes to maintaining industrially-based jobs, and particularly for low-skill or unskilled labour, which is all-important for the social 'mix' of the city and its inhabitants.