Amid difficult negotiations over the 2021-2022 national inter-professional agreement, Belgium’s social partners continue to lock horns over the calculated maximum allowed salary increase ceiling level of 0.4%. While after insistence by Minister of Economy and Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne, the ‘Group of 10’ representatives for the country’s private sector social partners, have returned to talks following their break-down at the end of January (c.f. article No.12332), disagreement remains around the rate of increase in the salary standard, beyond which employers do not want to go. In an attempt to shift the balance of power, the unions are playing their ‘street action’ card.
After a first day of action on 12 February, the union bodies are united in calling for another on 25 February: “Gross salaries must rise on the basis of collective agreements wherever possible, and especially the lowest salaries. Working conditions must be significantly improved. It must be possible to collectively reduce working hours, in particular to preserve jobs. Solutions must be found for career-end processes. To do all this, a mandatory standard, and a fortiori with the ridiculous figur
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