Belgium: social partners reach agreement putting an end to early retirement scheme

In line with the coalition agreement of the new Belgian government, the abolition of the early retirement scheme, which entitled senior citizens to unemployment benefit as well as a supplement from the company, was formalised on 17 March. The unions and employer representatives have reached an agreement to end the scheme as of 30 June 2025. The text must now be submitted to the Council of Ministers.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

The so-called Group of Ten, a consultation body bringing together trade unions and employers’ organisations in Belgium, reached an agreement on 17 March on ending the early retirement scheme as of 30 June 2025. A plan to abolish the scheme was included in the coalition agreement of the right-wing new government. When provided for in a collective agreement, the system allowed redundant employees aged 62 and over (60 for those who had performed a strenuous job) to receive unemployment benefits an

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
UE : les partenaires sociaux divisés entre compétitivité et urgence d’agir sur les emplois de qualité
La Confédération européenne des syndicats et BusinessEurope ont publié leur réponse au document de consultation en vue de sa future initiative européenne pour les emplois de qualité. Les deux...
4 February 2026
2026 TRENDS — Social dialogue, a major challenge in the deployment of AI in companies
mind RH is analysing the trends that will shape 2026. Artificial intelligence is emerging as a force that goes far beyond efficiency gains and productivity improvements. It is reshaping tasks...
4 February 2026
The major trends of 2026
New regulations coming into force, economic uncertainty, evolving skills requirements… More than ever, the HR function will play a strategic role within organizations in 2026. mind HR...
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
2
France: 2026 budget expected to maintain employer contribution relief
On 19 January 2026, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass France's 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. Three days...
3
EU: Cyprus unveils its six-month presidency programme
Cyprus has set out its priorities for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the social front, the centre-right government will focus on the Union of Skills, which aims to boost...
4
Informal economy and slow wage growth hamper decent work, ILO says
The International Labour Organisation published its Employment ans Social Trends 2026 on 14 January. It anticipates unemployment stabilising in 2026 and employment growth of 1%, driven by...