Belgian pre & post 1958 Labour Decoration, what's the difference?

[Duncan]

Can someone tell me the difference between the pre and post 1958 Belgian Labour Decoration please? Or does anyone have a photo of a pre 1958 one please?

Edited July 15, 2023 by Duncan

[Graf]

The Labour Decoration  is a Belgian labour long service medal originally established on 7 November 1847 under the name "Industrial and Agricultural Decoration". Its statute and design were reformed in 1958, since when it has retained its present name and design. The Labour Decoration is awarded to those who use their knowledge, talent and dedication in the pursuit of their work for a specified time. It is awarded by the Belgian Ministry of Employment and Labour.

Classes

The Labour Decoration is awarded in two classes:

The first class is awarded to those who can demonstrate thirty years of professional activity. Craftsmen who are not employees may be awarded the first class award if they can demonstrate twenty years of independent work in Belgium after their twenty-first birthday.

The second class is awarded to those who can demonstrate twenty-five years of professional activity.

The decoration first class may also be awarded posthumously to workers who have been the victims of a fatal accident in the workplace, without consideration of age or citizenship.

Administrative procedures

The request for award of the decoration to a specific worker is usually submitted to the Ministry by the worker's employer or professional union. However, when this is not possible (such as when the worker is an independent craftsman without a professional union), the worker may file the request themselves. The worker must be a resident of Belgium, although they may have worked in a foreign country for a Belgian company or worked in Belgium while residing in a different country. The Decoration may be awarded to workers in the private sector and to contractual employees of the public sector.

After having been verified by the local authorities, applications are scrutinised by the Ministry of Employment and Labour, where the decision to award the Decoration or not will be taken. Award ceremonies are usually held on 8 April, 21 July and 15 November of each year.

Award of National Orders

After the Labour Decoration, workers may later also be awarded the gold medal and the golden palms of the Order of the Crown respectively after thirty-five and forty-five years of professional activity, or in the latter case, forty years at the time of retirement. The Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold may be awarded to workers after fifty-five years of professional activity.

Award description

The insignia of the Labour Decoration is oval and made of silver, surrounded by a blue enamelled laurel wreath, with in its center a black enamelled oval medallion surrounded by a red enamelled border and in the center an emblem made of a beehive, a hammer and a compass and topped by the coat of arms of Belgium. The insignia is suspended by a ring through a lateral suspension loop through the orb of a pivot mounted royal crown. The reverse of the insignia is plain. The emblem and the royal crown are silver for the second class decoration and gold for the first class.

The ribbon of the Labour Decoration has three longitudinal stripes of equal width in the national colours of Belgium, black, yellow and red. The ribbon of the decoration first class is adorned with a rosette in the same colours. The ribbon of the Labour Decoration awarded posthumously is adorned with a black enameled clasp with silver text in Flemish and French stating deceased at work.

[Graf]

[Graf]

[Graf]

[Hendrik]

Hello Duncan,

Hello Graf,

 

@ Duncan : The 1958 "change" in the Labour Decoration concerns only its official name, there was no other model of type of medal involved.

@ Graf : Your first picture, with "Voorzorg - Prévoyance" cross is not the Labour Decoration of this subject. It's one of the "Special Decorations" created from 1889 onwards. There's 5 of those (Mutualité - Coopération -Prévoyance - Union Professionnelle - Association Agricole) and they are awarded for distinguished rather than long service.

 

Regards,

Hendrik

[Duncan]

Thank you Graf. Fantastic photos and thank you for the information. 

 

Thank you Hendrik, I thought it changed from French text to French and Flemish. I spent ages yesterday looking online for a French only one but of course couldn't fine one. Thank you for clarifying that.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Duncan

[oamotme]

Good morning All,

 

I attach a Belgian group containing a miniature Labour Decoration - whilst the crown appears to be silver (possibly tarnished?) the rosette would infer it is a 1st Class award.

 

Kind regards,

 

Owain.

[Graf]

Hi Duncan  Welcome

 

Hi Hendrik Thank you for clarifying My area is the rare models of the Prime Order of Leopold

I know you have dedicated site for Belgium Orders and decorations It is very useful for beginners and quick referrence

Hi Owain Very nice minis bar

[speedytop]

Hallo Hendrik,

 

the basic question is, when the change from one language, French, to the two languages, French and Flemish, occurred.

 

The first medals were only in french, the current ones are in French and Flemish.

 

And yes, unofficial medals exist in modern times only in French and only in Flemish (it could be that the images of the medals are not to scale), left the one from 1864:

 

Uwe

[Graf]

5 hours ago, speedytop said:

Hallo Hendrik,

 

the basic question is, when the change from one language, French, to the two languages, French and Flemish, occurred.

 

The first medals were only in french, the current ones are in French and Flemish.

 

And yes, unofficial medals exist in modern times only in French and only in Flemish (it could be that the images of the medals are not to scale), left the one from 1864:

 

Uwe

Hi Uwe Very good question indeed

[Hendrik]

Hello Uwe,

 

André Borné, in his book, situates the language change between May 1878 and August 1887 ...

 

Regards,

Hendrik

[Graf]

15 hours ago, Hendrik said:

Hello Uwe,

 

André Borné, in his book, situates the language change between May 1878 and August 1887 ...

 

Regards,

Hendrik

Unusually early change considering the very late -after WW2 change to the other Orders and decorations Very interesting fact

[speedytop]

Hello Hendrik,

 

after your answer I remembered, that I have a book about Belgian decorations, "H. Quinot, Ordres de Chevalerie et Décorations Belges de 1830 a 1963, Bruxelles 1963, 5th edition".

 

And there I found the year 1905 in the text.

 

Uwe

[VC89]

3 hours ago, speedytop said:

after your answer I remembered, that I have a book about Belgian decorations, "H. Quinot, Ordres de Chevalerie et Décorations Belges de 1830 a 1963, Bruxelles 1963, 5th edition".

 

I'm more likely to believe Borné on this one. Not only because his work is from a later date and he was familiar with Quinot's work but also because I have some of the Labour Decorations singed by the manufacturer. The most usefull one I have is the one signed by Auguste Fonson and is in it's original box. The box has his adress (Rue de Fabriques, 51). The medal is bilingual.

 

I checked a few almanachs of the city of Brussels (1899-1905) and in the editions of 1899 to 1901 it reads that on this adress was August Fonson. In the editions of 1902-1905 it was Fonson & Cie.

 

18 hours ago, Graf said:

Unusually early change considering the very late -after WW2 change to the other Orders and decorations Very interesting fact

 

I think you refer to the Royal Decree of 24 October 1951. It changed the French text on Belgian decorations to both French and Dutch. The Labour Decoration is indeed one of the earliest decorations that both uses French and Dutch inscriptions but there are more examples of bilingual medals prior to 1951: The Victory Medal (1919); The Commemorative Medal of the War 1914-1918 (1919); The Medal of National Restoration 1914-1918 (1928), ...
Some other medals other medals have a French and Dutch version (both official): King Albert Medal (1919); The Commemorative Decoration for the 75th Anniversary of the issue of the first postal stamp in Belgium and the 50th Anniversary of Belgium's participation in the universal postal union (aka. the Commemorative Medal of the 75th Anniversary of the Postal Services for short 😛)(1924); ...

[Graf]

6 hours ago, VC89 said:

 

I'm more likely to believe Borné on this one. Not only because his work is from a later date and he was familiar with Quinot's work but also because I have some of the Labour Decorations singed by the manufacturer. The most usefull one I have is the one signed by Auguste Fonson and is in it's original box. The box has his adress (Rue de Fabriques, 51). The medal is bilingual.

 

I checked a few almanachs of the city of Brussels (1899-1905) and in the editions of 1899 to 1901 it reads that on this adress was August Fonson. In the editions of 1902-1905 it was Fonson & Cie.

 

 

I think you refer to the Royal Decree of 24 October 1951. It changed the French text on Belgian decorations to both French and Dutch. The Labour Decoration is indeed one of the earliest decorations that both uses French and Dutch inscriptions but there are more examples of bilingual medals prior to 1951: The Victory Medal (1919); The Commemorative Medal of the War 1914-1918 (1919); The Medal of National Restoration 1914-1918 (1928), ...
Some other medals other medals have a French and Dutch version (both official): King Albert Medal (1919); The Commemorative Decoration for the 75th Anniversary of the issue of the first postal stamp in Belgium and the 50th Anniversary of Belgium's participation in the universal postal union (aka. the Commemorative Medal of the 75th Anniversary of the Postal Services for short 😛)(1924); ...

Thank you Very nice