In this report 2023, Fairwork highlights a series of phenomena, inter alia the misuse of the single permit system, the difficulties encountered by foreign students, the exploitation of posted workers, the false self-employment of inter alia applicants for international protection, au-pairs without contract, etc.

The report also provides some trends and figures:

• In 2023, Fairwork received 662 requests for assistance, which represents an increase of 48% compared with 2022. 
   
• Of the 662 requests for which Fairwork was able to collect contact details, there were 381 men (66%) and 192 women (34%).
   
• The workers who contacted Fairwork originate from 78 countries. The largest groups are the Brazilians (89) and Moroccans (53), followed by Ukrainians (18) and Turks (18).
   

• The sectors in which the workers are employed remain mainly domestic work, construction, catering and cleaning. But in total, the workers concerned were employed in 44 different sectors.

Furthermore, the report elaborates on the empowerment project "Fairwork Belgium for Domestic Workers" which organises information sessions on employment rights, socio-cultural activities, language lessons and training for emancipation, to relieve isolation and strengthen the skills of domestic workers with or without legal residence and young au pairs.

The report analyses the jurisprudence based on files managed by Fairwork in Belgium in 2023. In this regard, it obtained 12 court decisions. Eight of these twelve decisions concerned the non-proper payment of salaries to workers without a right of residence. Fairwork successfully won damages for unpaid wages in seven cases.

Finally, the report presents the information and training sessions to which Fairwork contributed in 2023, inter alia for frontline workers from Fedasil. 

For further details, please read (in French or in Dutch) the report attached above.