UpdateThe fact that the salary increase for the police, about which the police unions and Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) concluded a social interim agreement at the beginning of this year after months of negotiations, will only be rolled out from next year, has gone down the wrong way at the NSPV police union. The union is now internally considering what action to take on the case. There is also great dissatisfaction among government unions, because only from 2024 will federal government officials receive meal vouchers.
“This is du jamais vu that an agreement that was concluded with a minister is being reversed,” said Carlo Medo, chairman of the NSPV police union. “If you conclude a protocol, you should normally assume that it will be honoured. What are negotiations and protocols for then? We are committed to our supporters for this agreement.”
Verlinden not head of Jut, “I mainly target other parties”
“We are really surprised that the government ignores the protocol. There are seven parties in the government. I wonder which of them is actually in a good mood for the police,” said Medo, who emphasizes not to target Minister Verlinden. “We have made an agreement with her. I mainly target other parties.”
For Thierry Belin of NSPV, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) is the head of Jut. “This is unacceptable. It shows a lack of respect for his minister (Annelies Verlinden, ed.) and for the social partners,” said Belin.
The agreement, which includes a gross salary increase of 1,000 euros, will be implemented in phases: 45 percent in October 2023, 45 percent in October 2024 and 10 percent in October 2025. “Neither we nor the minister have the texts yet. When we have that, we will see what follow-up we will give it,” said Belin.
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The government is always talking about security, but is now committing a breach of word about investments for police personnel
ACV Police is also disappointed
ACV Police also announced that they were very disappointed in the De Croo government and its budget work. “In recent months, after very difficult negotiations, the Minister of the Interior reached an agreement with two other unions about a first pay increase after 20 years. What came out of the bus was not enough for us to agree with, especially for our civilian staff,” says Joery Dehaes of ACV Police.
“The meager protocols concluded are now being unilaterally amended by this government. Implementation will be phased in and work must be done on the accelerated phasing out of the end-of-career scheme. The government is always talking about security, but is now committing a breach of word about the investments for the police personnel. This budget shows that the government does not care about our police officers. And what’s more, this puts a mortgage on all upcoming negotiations,” says Dehaes.
Government unions: “What are the results of negotiations worth?”
There is also great dissatisfaction among government unions. They learned today that federal officials will have to wait until April 2024 before receiving a first increase in purchasing power, in the form of meal vouchers. Nothing remains of the previously promised wage increase that they had agreed with Minister Petra De Sutter (Green).
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The officials pay cash for the political games at the highest level
The government unions are therefore very disappointed. According to ACV Public Services, the government is committing a “break of word” because it does not respect the preliminary agreement that was concluded in June. “The civil servants have become the plaything of politics and pay cash for political games at the highest level,” said trade union leader Johan Lippens.
ACOD called the situation “dramatic” and said it was “completely disappointed”. “We are going to consult our supporters, but a reaction seems inevitable,” said Tony Six of the socialist union.
In June of this year, the unions concluded a preliminary agreement with Minister De Sutter. “That provided the first wage increase in 20 years on top of the index,” the unions note. The intention was to bring civil servant wages into line with the market, while several wage increases have taken place in the private sector in recent decades.
But after the budget agreement that the federal government knocked on yesterday, it appears that the wage increase of 2 percent will not come, any more than a higher year-end bonus. The meal vouchers will have to wait until the spring of 2024. The federal government employs about 65,000 civil servants.
“What are the results of negotiations still worth?” Lippens wonders. “Does the government still want social consultation? (…) We are nevertheless prepared to look for solutions.”
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