Belgium: mediation on the 2011-2012 cross-industry agreement

Six years ago, when the FGTB rejected the 2005-2006 draft cross-industry agreement, the government enforced it anyway.  This time around, the situation is somewhat different.  First, the socialist union is massively rejecting the agreement (see our dispatch No.  110082), and has the support of its liberal counterpart, the CGSLB.  Secondly, there is no government in Belgium, and the country has been living, for month, with a temporary administration run by Yves Leterme.  Hurried by the emergency of the measures contained in the 2011-2012 cross-industry agreement, Yves Leterme’s team nevertheless looked at the rejected draft agreement.  The members of the outgoing coalition managed to negotiate amendments to the text together, which they are hoping the social partners will validate today.
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mergency of the measures contained in the 2011-2012 cross-industry agreement, Yves Leterme’s team nevertheless looked at the rejected draft agreement. The members of the outgoing coalition managed to negotiate amendments to the text together, which they are hoping the social partners will validate today.

Indexation. The social partners received the “mediation offer” on Friday. The latter maintains automatic indexation of wages, in spite of the EU’s pressure to remove it (see our dispatch No.

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