JC 200: draft protocol agreement 2021-2022

The social partners of the Auxiliary Joint Committee for non-manual workers (JC 200) have reached an agreement on the protocol agreement 2021-2022. The information below still has to be translated into a legally binding text (CLA), but we can already give you an overview of what has been agreed.

Provisions with an impact on wages

• Increase of the minimum wage scales by 0.4% from 01/12/2021.
• Increase of the real gross monthly wages by 0.4% from 01/12/2021.
  • The increase of the real gross monthly wages does not apply to non-manual workers who already receive equivalent wage increases or benefits at company level during the period 2021-2022 (except for increases based on professional experience and/or seniority).
  • One-off premiums may be taken into account provided they were granted during the period 2021-2022. The 0.4% gross wage increase or equivalent benefit must be recurring from 01/01/2023.
  • In companies with union delegation, the application of the equivalent benefit shall take place subject to a company agreement by 30 November 2021 at the latest. In companies without union delegation, the employer shall inform the employee in writing and individually about the application of the equivalent benefit by 30 November 2021 at the latest.
• Granting of a corona premium, only in companies that achieved a positive operating result in 2019 and 2020 AND saw their turnover (or gross margin if turnover is not available) increase by at least 5% (in 2020 compared to 2019).
  • If the turnover or the gross margin has increased by at least 5%, the corona premium amounts to EUR 125.
  • If the turnover or the gross margin has increased by at least 10%, the corona premium amounts to EUR 250.
  • The premium is paid to workers who are employed on 30/11/2021. The reference period for time worked is from 01/12/2020 to 30/11/2021. The days treated as time worked are the same as for the sectoral CLA concerning the end-of-year bonus. Periods of temporary unemployment Corona are also treated as time actually worked.
  • For part-time employees, the premium is granted pro rata to their working regime on 30/11/2021.
  • The corona premium will be granted no later than 31/12/2021. Corona premiums granted at company level are deducted from the above amounts.
• For the calculation of the end-of-year bonus, certain periods of temporary agency work are taken into account for the calculation of the six-month seniority condition.
• Working group on sectoral minimum wage scales: the social partners undertake to examine, within a working group, the possibilities of better adapting the sectoral minimum wage scales to labour market developments.

Mobility

• From 01/07/2022, workers who regularly use a bicycle for home to work travel will be granted a bicycle allowance of EUR 0.20/km with a maximum of EUR 8 per working day.
• Private transport: from 01/01/2022, the amount of the annual gross limit for the private transport allowance will be raised from EUR 27.750 to EUR 29.680.

End-of-career

• Extension of RCC/SWT provisions for the period from 01/07/2021 to 30/06/2023 with 10 years of seniority:
  • RCC/SWT from the age of 60 after an occupational history of 33 years night work/in an arduous occupation
  • RCC/SWT from the age of 60 after an occupational history of 40 years
  • RCC/SWT from the age of 60 after an occupational history of 35 years in an arduous occupation.
• Extension of the CLA on time credit for the period from 01/07/2021 to 31/12/2023, with the exception of the implementation of CLA 156/157 which applies from 01/01/2021 to 30/06/2023.
• Continuation of the social fund premium for non-manual workers who start a 1/5 career.
• Extension of the use of the Flemish incentive bonuses.

Supplementary pension

The CLA of 01/07/2019 concerning purchasing power is amended with regard to the regulation of supplementary pensions for non-manual workers: the deadline for the social partners to reach an agreement is extended.

Training

Extension of the training provisions for the period 2022-2023, subject to the following changes in the number of training days to be provided:

• Companies with 20 or more workers: on average 6 days per 2 years per FTE;
• Companies with between 10 and 20 workers: on average 4.5 days per 2 years per FTE;
• Companies with less than 10 workers: on average 4 days per 2 years per FTE.

In the first half of 2022, the social partners intend to develop a strategy, within the Board of Directors of Cefora/Cevora, to achieve a higher volume of employee training and to encourage the companies’ training policy.

Contribution to the social fund

The employers' contribution to the social fund, set at 0.23% of the gross wages of the non-manual workers of the companies, is extended for the period from 01/04/2022 to 31/12/2023. The agreements for high-risk groups are extended.

Teleworking and disconnecting from work

The social partners encourage companies, when implementing teleworking, to include it in the social dialogue at company level for the duration of this agreement. At the end of 2022, as part of their next agreement, the social partners will evaluate and verify whether a sector-level framework is required.

More information

As soon as we have further information we will update you.

Source: Draft sector agreement 2020-2021 – Auxiliary Joint Committee for non-manual workers JC 200