The railway unions are requesting urgent consultations with the CEOs of the railway companies and mobility minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) about the federal budget agreement. They threaten with new actions. “Some of the money that is available must also flow to the staff,” says Koen De Mey, chairman of ACV Transcom. Minister Gilkinet promises that consultations will take place soon.
“The train will not become the backbone of mobility, but will remain the government’s Achilles heel,” the unions said in a joint press release on Wednesday. After the unions met on the budget agreement that the federal government concluded on Tuesday, they react “disappointed” and request urgent consultations with the CEOs of railway companies NMBS and Infrabel and with Minister Gilkinet.
Earlier this month, Minister Gilkinet, who wants to make railways the backbone of mobility, had asked the government an extra EUR 4 billion over 10 years. The budget agreement provides for a budget trajectory of 3 billion euros over 10 years. This concerns 2 billion euros plus the authorization for Infrabel to take out a loan from the European Investment Bank for one billion euros, in order to accelerate the infrastructure works. For the period 2023-2024, for which the multi-year budget was drawn up, this concerns approximately 200 million euros for structural investments, and 108 million euros in the first half of 2023 due to increased energy costs.
“Fail”
The unions believe that the financial resources allocated are “much lower” than the “actual needs” that the minister and the railway companies considered necessary to realize the ambitions under the new management contract. They only cover a period of two years, do not allow for growth in the transport supply, do not contribute to the improvement of the quality of public service and do not allow an improvement in the working conditions of railway workers, the unions say in the press release.
In the talks with the CEOs and Minister Gilkinet, the unions want to express their concern about the scope of the decisions of the budget agreement, both in terms of quality of service and personnel.
Quote
Some of the money that is available must also flow to the staff. It is not possible that the money should only be used for investments and to compensate for energy prices.
Action plan
The unions say the outcome of the meetings “will determine the follow-up to the action plan” after the October 5 strike. The unions then wanted to put pressure on the federal government in the run-up to budget talks. They fought for sufficient resources for recruitment and good working conditions. So now the unions are turning their backs and targeting the CEOs of the rail companies and Minister Gilkinet.
“We are going to put pressure on the CEOs and on Minister Gilkinet. Some of the money that is available must also flow to the staff. Then the Minister must adjust the ambitions downwards. It is not possible that the money is only used for investments. and to compensate for energy prices. Something has to be done for better working conditions and recruitment,” trade unionist Koen De Mey told Belga.
Minister Gilkinet announces via social network Twitter that he will meet the railway unions soon. “By the way, I already suggested that to them this morning,” said the minister on Wednesday evening. “Since the start of this legislature I have worked to get the train back on track. The decisions of this budget conclave also make that possible. The will and the money are there.”
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