An agreement has been reached in the National Labor Council on limiting day contracts in the interim sector. That’s what the unions say. According to them, the most important part of the agreement is the introduction of an additional social security contribution that companies have to pay when excessive use of day contracts.
Between 2015 and 2020, half of all interim contracts were day contracts. These are by no means only used to absorb unpredictable peak moments, the unions blame.
“By working with consecutive day contracts, companies shift the cost of super flexible labor to social security. People who work with day contracts are more often unemployed and cannot fall back on guaranteed wages paid by the employer in the event of illness,” they explain. “Day contracts also result in a lot of uncertainty for the interim workers involved, both financially and in the planning of their private lives.”
Under the agreement, the companies now have to pay a special social security contribution per temporary worker per day from the moment that they grant 40 consecutive day contracts per semester. The contribution increases as the number of days increases: for 40 to 59 consecutive day contracts, it is 10 euros, for more than 100, the amount rises to 40 euros per temporary worker per day.
“The unions are pleased that an important step is finally being taken in curbing this very far-reaching employee flexibility,” said ACV, ABVV and ACLVB. The agreement, which will enter into force on 1 January 2023, also applies to job students, “because they too are entitled to more security”.
In addition to discouraging day contracts via an additional contribution, the current principle remains that day contracts can only be used when necessary, without this being allowed to become a business model, it still sounds like.
It has also been agreed to make an evaluation of two-day contracts in the short term. It has also been agreed that these will also be subject to the additional social security contribution if a substantial increase in their use is established.
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