Belgium: special ‘corona’ bonus for employees (subject to conditions)

On Thursday 6 May, the Belgian government put forward the idea of granting an exceptional bonus to employees in companies that have recorded good results during the health crisis. The government is therefore stepping in with discussions between social partners over the 2021-2022 national inter-professional agreement having stalled (see article n°12375). After several weeks of negotiations, trade unions and employers continue to defend opposing positions on inter-professional wage increases while the Belgian economy continues to suffer the effects of the health crisis. The bonus, which can be paid by employers until 31 December 2021, will however be subject to collective bargaining at each company and will be capped at €500. While all workers should receive a 0.4% wage increase (excluding indexation), in line with assessments from the Central Council of the Economy, the bonus will only be received by some workers. For example, in the retail sector, which had good results in 2020, the bonus should take the form of vouchers. The unions had asked for the bonus to be negotiated on a sector-by-sector basis, as many SMEs do not have the union resources to negotiate this wage supplement. The government preferred to let each company decide depending on what it deems possible.