Civil Service Minister Petra De Sutter (Green) reaches an agreement with the federal government unions. It has yet to be approved by the federal government.
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The agreement provides for a wage increase of 3 to 7 percent. In concrete terms, this concerns at least 200 euros gross extra per month in the form of a higher end-of-year bonus, the introduction of meal vouchers and wage surcharge. The officials at levels C and D such as guards, reception staff or logistics staff will especially feel the increase, says De Sutter.
It had been twelve years since the trade unions and the Minister of the Civil Service were able to conclude a sectoral agreement. The approximately 65,000 employees of the federal government have not received a single pay increase on top of the index in the past twenty years, says De Sutter. “It is therefore only natural that their wages are increased.”
War for talent
The preliminary agreement also includes efforts to accelerate recruitment, actions on well-being and sustainability and a better feedback culture. Bottleneck professions such as IT specialists and analysts are being made more attractive with, among other things, training programs and competitive wages, says De Sutter. ‘In that sense, this agreement responds to the war for talent which all employers are confronted with today.’
Breakthrough in police negotiations: two unions give conditional green light
The preliminary agreement will be on the government’s agenda next autumn, together with the agreement that Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) negotiated with the police unions earlier this year. The federal government has yet to give the green light. If all goes well, the agreement for federal officials will come into effect on January 1, 2023. †
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