Aidonian's blog

At the end of the 19th century, the working conditions were poor and so bad that workers started to form what later would be unions, but also the predecessors of healthcare. With as little money that they had, they formed unions, but also healthcare groups sorth of speak to help each other out when needed, but it wasn\”t nearly enough to give the people the help they needed. They were still at the mercy of their employer for any healthcare benefits, etc… 

It was during strike after strike, that the workers were able to gain succes. With the help of the Socialist party, they gained rights, but the socialist party were quick to sell out their base if it meant to keep their power. Even though they gained successes with striking, the repression against workers increased as well. Through action, they were able to achieve that kids could go to school until 14 years old, instead of working with their parents, that they were able to change the voting system. They also wanted to give women right to vote, but the Socialist party prevented that. They feared that women were more conservative and would vote against them, so they stopped them. It wasn\”t until the late 40\”s that women were able to vote. By then, the workers were able to achieve through actions that they got paid sick leave, paid vacation, 38 hour workweek, etc… But the Social Security system as it is today was yet to be born. Before it was born, people organised themselves to demand more rights, higher pay, paid vacation time, unions were allowed. It did help that the USSR was there to scare the captains of industry and the goverment to give in into the demands. It did help, but with each accomandation, things were made more stern.

That came after the war, where workers and captains of industry found eachother and with the help of the goverment created the social system. The reason: the captains of industry realized that due to the war they had a shortage of workers, so they had to give in into their demands of what later be Social Security because the workers had the power to make changes and they probably knew that. 

Hence the social security system was born. 

The thing is, even though the workers won, unions were allowed and represent the workforce, the capitalists of captains of industry as one might call them, weren\”t happy with that. They sought to change it. But realized soon enough, they had to bide their time to do that. It isn\”t until the last 30 years or so, that they were able to scale back some of the successes of the past. 

With the rise of the far right in the world and a more global world, our social security is constantly under attack from all sides. I will go on deeper on this issue. 

The thing is, what makes our social security so great that everyone in Belgium whether legal or not, can get help. Unemployed, the unemployed benefits can help you out. No home or lost the unemployed benefits, OCMW can help you out (more on that later). Retired, the system got you covered. Have kids, the system got you covered. Kids get sick, it got your back, etc… 

Through mutualities you don\”t have to pay for everything when you go to the doctor or in a hospital. 

At the moment, the biggest expenses for the system are not unemployement benefits or money for foreigners, but pension and medicare. That\”s right. The far right will have you believe that money going for foreigners will deplete the social security system, while the liberals will have you believe that pensions can\”t be paid no more, that\”s it to expansive:both are lies to further their agenda, which is to defund the social security system, which is unfortunatly working. More on that later. 

The thing is, you cant have one thing of social security and not the rest or just the social security for one group and not the rest of the population. It doesnt work like that. Its for everyone. Even for people who just arrived here and want to start fresh. Everyone should be helped. Everyone should be helped or be given chances to better themselves.

Well, healthcare, pensions, unemployment benefits, occupational diseases, accidents at work, SVWT, timecredit, sickness benefits. 

Now, this is going to get technical.

– social contribution: 51.6 billion euros

– balance allocations: EUR 3.1 billion

– government grant: 2.1 billion euros

– addition of federal states: 1.4 billion euros

– VAT: EUR 10.4 billion

– withholding tax: EUR 3 billion

– other: EUR 2.1 billion.

If you start to mess with one of them or make budget cuts here, it is going to have a ripple effect. Like I said. Its not just ordinary people who along with the goverment who fund this, but also the employers. If employers don\”t have to add anything to this jar, less money is going in to the social security, than what is going out. If more money goes out than in, than that is a real problem. The thing is, this is designed that way, as an excuse to underfund or cut away the system altogether because it “doesn\”t” work anyway. While it does work and it has worked fine for decades.