Half of the service voucher companies are currently loss-making, according to an analysis that the employers’ organizations had carried out by Graydon Creditsafe. The price of a service voucher has been the same for years, but the costs for employers have risen sharply in recent years, they say.
Currently, a service voucher has cost the user 9 euros for years. Of this, 1.80 euros can be recovered via the tax letter, so you only pay 7.20 euros for an hour of cleaning or ironing assistance. The Flemish government subsidizes an additional 18 euros, so the service voucher companies receive 27 euros per hour.
Companies that are still making a profit are also seeing their margins shrink. The indirect costs, such as the rent of the buildings and the wages of the supporting staff, have risen sharply in recent years. The lack of reasonable financing is also at the expense of the domestic helpers themselves, who see training and guidance being phased out.
In The Morning on Radio 1, Ann Cattelain, CEO of sector federation Federgon, says that 1 euro should go directly to the wages of domestic help. “2 euros also goes indirectly to the household help, by investing in a better career, such as better access to training and coaching.” The last 2 euros should improve the financial reserves of companies.
According to employers, the total increase in the value of the service voucher by 5 euros would give the sector a sustainable future perspective for domestic helpers and customers. The price increase would be partly borne by the customer and partly by the Flemish government.
“If these additional resources are not provided, bankruptcies are likely and the service voucher system will implode, with all the negative consequences this entails for employers, household helpers and users.”
The proposal is met with protest from the union. Because some large commercial companies still make a profit, Issam Benali of the socialist ABVV thinks this is “not a good idea”.
The competent Minister of Labor Jo Brouns (CD&V) also shows little interest in providing financial support. There is currently no margin in the government’s budget for an increase in subsidies, a spokesperson says. “The agreement is that we will not make service vouchers more expensive this legislature,” Het Laatste Nieuws said. However, according to Brouns, the removal of the tax benefit on service vouchers should also be discussed.
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2023-09-08 06:13:22
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