Transport costs: change on 1 July

Employers are obliged to contribute to the transport costs of their workers. This obligation is laid down at inter-sectoral level by collective bargaining agreement no 19/9. However, many sectors provide for a higher contribution or other means of transport than those laid down at inter-sectoral level.

End of the distance requirement

CBA no. 19/9, and before that CBA no. 19octies, lays down an allowance from the employer for workers who use the tram, bus, metro or even the water bus to go to work. This contribution was only due for a distance of at least 5 km between the points of departure and destination.

This minimum distance requirement will be abolished with effect from 1 July 2020. A worker who goes to work by tram and travels a distance of 4 kilometres is therefore entitled to a contribution from the employer from the beginning of next month.

Transport plans postponed

Transport plans are intended to give an overview of the mobility in companies and to suggest ways to improve mobility. This picture was originally planned for 30 June 2020. Forms had to be returned by 31 January 2021 at the latest.

As a result of the coronavirus crisis, both the federal mobility diagnostics and the Brussels transport plan are postponed by one year. The two deadlines will therefore be 30 June 2021 and 31 January 2022.

And in my sector?

Some sectors had already provided for an allowance from the first kilometre travelled. In these sectors, the contribution to the public transport costs will remain unchanged on 1 July. We also note that several sectors have provided for changes in the sector contribution on that the same date.

In the joint committee 100 (auxiliary joint committee for manual workers) and 200 (auxiliary joint committee for non-manual workers), for example, workers travelling to work by bicycle are entitled to EUR 0.10 per kilometre travelled as from 1 July. However, this sector obligation is limited to EUR 4 per day. This means that an employer does not have to reimburse the kilometres travelled by bicycle over 40 kilometres per day (for a commuting distance of 20 km). The employer may, if he so wishes, choose not to apply this ceiling or to grant a higher bicycle allowance.

The employer's contribution to the transport costs that apply to your sector can be found in the sector information of your joint committee.

Source: CBA no.19octies of 23 April 2019 with regard to the employer’s financial contribution to the price of the common public transport of workers (reg. no. 151.392 - RD 28.04.2019 - Belgian Official Gazette 08.05.2019).