Joint Committee 226 - Convert your eco vouchers? Time for action!

As an employer of the joint committee (JC) 226 (non-manual workers in international trade, haulage and logistics), you grant eco vouchers to your employees every year in the beginning of December. But maybe you prefer to reward your employees with a different benefit? This is possible within the JC 226!

Eco vouchers in JC 226

Employees with a full reference period will be entitled to eco vouchers worth EUR 250.

However, employees not having worked a full reference period will be entitled to a different amount. 

More details and a comprehensive analysis can be found in our sector information on our website (sector document JC 226 - eco vouchers for more details).

Conversion into another benefit

This joint committee lays down that the eco vouchers on a company level can be converted, provided that the total cost (including any expenses specific to the chosen benefit) does not exceed 250 EUR per employee and per calendar year.

Which benefits?

In principle, different alternatives for the eco vouchers are possible, including:

• the introduction or improvement of an existing collective hospitalisation insurance policy;
• the introduction or improvement of an existing supplementary pension scheme at company level;
• the introduction of meal vouchers or the increase of their facial value by e.g. EUR 1 per luncheon voucher. Comment: In our LegalSmart webshop you can find a sample document. Legal all-in customers can ask their legal officer to send them this sample document.

How?

In companies having an appropriate consultative body, the conversion will be laid down in a written company agreement provided that the following terms and conditions are met:

• company agreements for an indefinite period will remain active;
• fixed term company agreements can be re-extended and will be registered with the President of the JC;
• new agreements will be registered with the President of the PC.

When there is no appropriate consultative body in your company, the agreements will be submitted for approval to the Joint Committee’s General Affairs Working Group.

The agreements must then be registered, before 31 October of the previous calendar year, with the President of the JC for non-manual workers in international trade, haulage and logistics (FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue, Rue Ernest Blérot 1, 1070 Brussels).

For guidance and advice on the conversion of eco vouchers, contact our Legal Partners, any time (Legalpartners@partena.be or call 02/549.30.20).

Source: Collective bargaining agreement of 8 May 2017 with regard to the wage conditions (registration number 139.311), in force as from 1 January 2017 for an indefinite period.