The social programme 2019-2020 for the joint committee 220.00 (food industry - non-manual workers) has been concluded

JC 220.00 (food industry - non-manual workers) has concluded a social programme for the period 2019-2020. This social programme of 01 July 2019 respects the maximum negotiating envelope of 1.1% in 2019-2020 in accordance with the RD of 19 April 2019.

Below, you will find a brief overview of the main subjects of this sector agreement. A detailed analysis will be included in our sector information.

Purchasing power

Applying the wage margin

On 01 January 2020 all sectoral minimum wages will increase by 1.1%.

In the absence of a company agreement, real wages will increase by 1.1% on 1 January 2020.

Provided that a collective bargaining agreement is concluded in the company by 15 December 2019 at the latest, an envelope of 1.1% will be allocated to the company, to be used in accordance with the framework for the 2019-2020 negotiations.

 

Bonuses

By 15 December 2019 at the latest, a one-off gross bonus of EUR 400 will be granted before 25 December 2019, according to the same terms and conditions as the end-of-year bonus.

For the period 2019-2020, this bonus includes the recurrent bonus of EUR 80 from the sectoral agreement 2015-2016, where it is still applied and has not been replaced by another advantage.

Companies that have not converted the EUR 80 bonus from the 2015-2016 sectoral agreement are encouraged to do so by means of a company collective bargaining agreement by 30 December 2020. In the absence of such a collective bargaining agreement, the recurring bonus will again be payable annually from 1 January 2021.

Additional allowance in the event of termination of the employment contract for reasons of medical force majeure

 

The additional allowance when the employment contract is terminated due to medical force majeure amounts to EUR 11.38 per day from 1 January 2020.

 

Socio-economic security long-term illness

 

The additional compensation to be paid by the social security and welfare fund in the event of long-term illness is EUR 7.56 per day. This increase shall apply from the first payment after 1 January 2020.

Clothes allowance

Employers must provide and maintain working clothes. As from 1 January 2020, the weekly costs for the company can be estimated at:

EUR 3.96 for the provision of working clothes

EUR 4.68 for the maintenance of working clothes

Mobility

From 1 January 2020, the contribution to commuting costs by public transport will increase to 80% and the bicycle allowance to EUR 0.24 per actual kilometre travelled.

Feasible work

The social partners welcome the steps that have been taken in the companies with regard to feasible work. With this sector agreement, we want to encourage companies that have already concluded a collective bargaining agreement to pursue this course of action. Companies that have not yet concluded a collective bargaining agreement must do so before 30 June 2020.

In consultation with the trade union delegation, the company collective bargaining agreement on temporary agency work and on improving feasibility will be evaluated by 30 June 2020 at the latest. It identifies the actions that need to be further developed and new actions that need to be taken.

The social partners, using the resources of the Social Fund, are developing an intervention system for childcare for children under the age of three. Non-manual workers in the sector are entitled to reimbursement of the costs, up to EUR 2 per day per child, with a maximum of EUR 460 per year. The reimbursement will be made for the first time in 2020 on the basis of a tax certificate for the childcare of the year 2019.

Temporary agency worker

The social partners reactivate the sectoral ‘Good Offices Commission’ of the food industry. By 31 December 2019, the social partners within ‘Alimento’ will be working out a training course for temporary agency workers in order to evolve towards a permanent position in JC 220.

The social partners will conclude a CBA that treats up to 2 years of periods of employment as interim periods in the same company equally within the framework of company salary scales and seniority days.

End-of-career

Maintaining of the age of 55 in 2019 and 2020 for the 1/5th end-of career jobs ‘long occupational history' and 'arduous occupations’ and 57 years for the end-of career jobs ‘long occupational history' and 'arduous occupations'.

As from 1 July 2019, the additional allowance of EUR 82 in the event of a switch from a full-time or 1/5th reduction to a reduction to a half-time occupation for non-manual workers aged 55 years in implementation of collective bargaining agreement No. 103 of 27 June 2012 introducing a system of time credit, will be increased to EUR 97.

This includes an additional allowance from the social security fund for 4/5th time credit from the age of 55 and 1/5th end-of-career job, from 1/1/2020 onwards.

. From 1/07/2019 onwards, the following will apply: for the sectoral end-of-career days:

.	an extra day at the age of 55
.	Advance the existing system of end-of-career days from 60 to 59 years (5 days), bringing the total to 6 days at the age of 59

Training

From 1 January 2020, the training efforts will go up to an average of 4 days of training per full-time equivalent per year (two days of individual entitlement and two days of collective entitlement).

Harmonisation manual workers – non-manual workers)

The social partners will set up a mixed working group manual workers – non-manual workers in order to list the sectoral differences.

Social peace

The trade unions undertake not to impose any requirements in the company other than the application of this collective bargaining agreement.

Duration

The provisions of this collective bargaining agreement enter into force on 1 January 2019 and are valid for an indefinite period of time, unless otherwise stipulated.

 

Source: Social programme 2019-2020 (JC 220.00) - 01.07.2019