The sectoral partners of JC 302 have concluded a draft protocol agreement for the period 2023-2024. This agreement must fully comply with the Royal Decree of 13 May 2023 that sets the wage standard for the period 2023 and 2024 (0%).

The agreement shall take effect from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024, unless otherwise stipulated. The following is a brief overview of the key points contained in the sector agreement. A detailed analysis will soon be available in our sector documentation.

Purchasing power bonus

A purchasing power bonus will be awarded to workers in companies that achieved high profits or exceptionally high profits in 2022, subject to the following conditions:

The bonus is paid to employees who:

• are employed as on 30 november 2023, provided they have a seniority in the company of at least 6 months
• in proportion to the effective or equivalent (in accordance with the Royal Decree on annual leave) work performed between 1 December 2022 and 30 November 2023. 

For part-time employees, the bonus is awarded on a pro rata basis, in accordance with their working regime as on 30 November 2023. Students and flexi-jobs are excluded from the purchasing power bonus.

The purchasing power bonus will be awarded no later than 31 December 2023.

Eco-vouchers

The JC 302 will send a letter to the Group of 10, proposing to allow eco-vouchers 2024 to be used for a wider scope.

Student salary scales

From now on, the student salary scale for students aged 18 to 20 shall also be equivalent to 90% of the salary of the job category in which the student was classified. Currently, this student salary scale only exists up to the age of 18.

For the time being, this arrangement only applies to the period from 1 January to 31 December 2024.

End-of-year bonus

It is clarified in the CBA on the end-of-year bonus that the employee retains his entitlement to end-of-year bonus if he voluntarily leaves the company to take his statutory early retirement.

Working groups

The five existing working groups within the joint committee (job classification, workable work, competence joint committee and work clothing and quality of work) undertake to meet at least each quarter and to submit their findings to the joint committee by the end of 2024.

Time credit, end-of-career, economic unemployment and risk groups

The collective bargaining agreements on time credit end-of-career, economic unemployment and risk groups are extended for 2 years.

Training

The social partners are committed to expanding the digital training offer in the training centres.

Social harmony

Social harmony shall be ensured in the sector during the currency of this agreement.

Source

Draft sectoral agreement 2023-2024 for JC 302