With local actions on Friday in Kortrijk, Leuven and Hasselt, the three trade unions want to give the government a shot ahead in the purchasing power discussion. The actions will lead to the necessary nuisance at De Lijn, but at NMBS and STIB everything has to run by the book. A national trade union manifestation is also planned in Brussels on 20 June. In between, on May 31, the public services will hold another day of action against the “general malaise” in the sector.
The concrete reason for today’s local actions is the fact that no agreement has been reached within the Group of 10 on higher reimbursements in the travel costs for employees. The unions demand that an extra intervention be granted quickly, and to reinforce these and other demands, action is already being taken today. This therefore concerns the wage standard law of 1996. This law puts a brake on wage increases in order to protect the competitive position of Belgian companies vis-à-vis neighboring countries, but the unions want to see the current law reformed.
According to the joint trade union front, employers are once again wanting to get the most out of their efforts, while leaving their employees out in the cold. For example, they refuse any extra effort, but they do want the government to provide extra resources to reduce the energy costs of the companies, according to the unions.
The workers are also confronted with the sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices, the unions said. Therefore, an extra intervention is needed that is immediately tangible and in proportion to rising fuel prices, for all employees who have to use their own car for their commute.
“Employers must take responsibility”
The unions also want employers to take responsibility, especially when it comes to professional travel. Finally, it is absolutely impossible for them “that the reimbursement of the commute is somehow linked to the wage level of the employee, as proposed by the employers”, it reads.
In Hasselt, the unions plan a ‘Mega Open Air Pay Quiz’, speeches and testimonies in the morning, in Leuven they gather at 10 am at Martelarenplein and in Kortrijk at 11 am at Mandelaplein. There are also actions in Wallonia in various places. This is the case in Liège, La Louvière and Charleroi, among others.
Passengers at De Lijn in particular will be inconvenienced by the actions on public transport. The company expects that only 60 percent of all journeys will be made at the Flemish level. At least half of the De Lijn buses and trams will run in each province, but this can vary per province. An alternative service has been developed based on the available staff, which can be consulted on the company’s website and app.
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