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A survey of public opinion in Belgium found that 72% of respondents see them as a positive influence.
Researchers at the Catholic University of Louvain (KU Leuven) questioned some 1,900 voters between October 2014 and June 2015, comparing opinion in the Flemish-speaking north and French-speaking south of the country.
They also discovered that 41.6% of French-speakers are trade union members, as against 39% of Flemish. Across the country, more than 70% of trade unionists referred to the services unions provide as the reason for joining.