IPA: framework of agreements agreed upon in the Group of 10

On 15 March 2023, the social partners, united in the Group of 10, concluded a social agreement on a number of key social issues. The social partners will now submit this agreement to their constituencies.

The following has been agreed:

• ‘Recovery’ hours: the system of 120 voluntary recovery hours will be extended until 30 June 2025. The increase in the number of tax-favourable overtime hours from 130  to 180 overtime hours/year for all sectors will also be extended from 1 July 2023 until 30 June 2025.
• Economic unemployment for non-manual workers: the procedure included in CBA no. 159 will be extended by 2 years, until 30 June 2025.
• RCC/SWT (system of unemployment with company supplement):
  • CBA no. 17:  extended until 30 June 2025. The CBA provides for an automatic indexation of the supplementary allowance. In return, the social partners ask that no Decava contribution be collected retroactively.
  • The RCC/SWT schemes for workers aged 60 and over with, among others, long careers, heavy duty jobs or who are employed by companies that are in difficulties or undergoing restructuring will be extended until 30 June 2025.
  • RCC/SWT for medical reasons: remains possible from the age of 58.
• extension of time-credit CBA's 156 and 157 until 30 June 2025
• End-of-career jobs for adapted work companies: new CBA for end-of-career jobs at 55 from a career of 25 years onwards for target group workers of adapted work companies, sheltered and social workshops.
• Extensions: the following measures will also extended:
  • Employer contribution for risk groups (0.10%).
  • The innovation premium system.
  • Exemption from the obligation to hire a worker under a ‘first job’ agreement if the employer provides for a 0.15% contribution for risk groups.
  • The 80-20 arrangement in the context of the employer contribution for public transport (third party payer rule).
  • Fine for employers who do not offer outplacement (€ 1,800).
• 2nd pension pillar: the social partners reaffirm the tax and social status quo and explicitly ask the government not to intervene in this matter for the time being. This will allow the social partners to fully concentrate on the content and organisation of harmonising the supplementary pensions for manual and non-manual workers.
• Minimum wages: the social partners confirm the commitments made in the agreement of 8 June 2021; i.e. raising the minimum wage on 1 April 2024 and again on 1 April 2026.
• CBA no. 90 (non-recurring performance-related benefits/bonus plans): the social partners ask the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue to respect their advice and to abandon the very strict interpretation that it currently applies. This would give companies more legal certainty about the collective objectives they can include in the bonus plan.

Important note! This is currently only an agreement on a framework of agreements between the social partners. The employees' and employers' representatives will now submit this draft agreement to the government and their constituencies for approval.

Once this agreement has been approved, sectoral negotiations can begin. These sectoral negotiations will also cover the conditions for granting the purchasing power premium in the various sectors.

We will keep you updated as we receive more information.

Source: press, FEB/VBO