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The unions ACV and VSOA file a strike notice for federal government employees. It will take effect on January 14 at 10 p.m. for an indefinite period, they announced on Wednesday. ACOD does not support the notice. “It makes no sense to campaign now,” it reads there.
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jvhSource: BELGIAN
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The Christian and liberal trade unions are displeased that negotiations with Civil Service Minister Petra De Sutter (Green) about an increase in the purchasing power of civil servants are at a dead end. “In May and June of this year, we had intensive discussions and very concrete sheets were drawn up for a considerable number of aspects, including about the year-end bonus and meal vouchers,” they criticize. “Since then, it has been calm with regard to the negotiations on a sectoral agreement.”
Meanwhile, workloads continue to mount due to “constrained staffing levels due to continued linear savings,” it said. “The situation is gradually becoming untenable on many services.” In addition, an additional telecommuting allowance was discontinued at the end of September.
ACV and VSOA are demanding a series of measures to increase the purchasing power of civil servants. It concerns the “revaluation of the wage scales” for the first time in almost twenty years, a full thirteenth month and the introduction of meal vouchers. “Until now, the government has shown no willingness to release the necessary budgetary resources,” they say.
The socialist trade union ACOD, together with ACV the largest union among federal civil servants, has not supported the strike notice. According to general secretary Gino Hoppe, it makes no sense to take action in mid-January, while there will only be a budget control again in February.
“We have also formulated a proposal ourselves for baremic increases and an end-of-year bonus and we want to give Minister De Sutter every opportunity to look at the budgetary options,” said Hoppe. “But if we get the signal in February that there is no money at all, then that is of course a different story,” he warns.
Moreover, ACOD opposes the demand of the other two unions to introduce meal vouchers, mainly because they have no impact on the calculation of the pension. “That has always been unmentionable for us and will remain so,” emphasizes Hoppe.
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