The Flemish government is allocating an extra 577 million euros for the healthcare sector, on top of the 525 million euros previously provided for. A clearly relieved Prime Minister Jambon spoke at the press conference of ‘an unprecedented effort’.
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Last night, the Flemish government reached an agreement with the social partners in the healthcare sector on wage and working conditions and the reduction of workload. “Flanders is making an unprecedented effort for the personnel in the care and welfare sector,” said Prime Minister Jambon. He spoke of a ‘strong and balanced social agreement for the period 2021 to 2025’.
The Flemish government is making an extra effort of 577 million euros per year, on top of the 525 million euros per year already provided for in the expansion policy. Of that additional budget, 412 million euros will go to increasing the purchasing power of the staff and 165 million euros to structural measures to relieve the workload.
The extra effort of 577 million euros will already be made at the end of January. The staff in the healthcare sector will get the increase in purchasing power six months faster through the agreement. A nurse with 10 years of experience will receive an extra 1,500 euros gross (six times 250 euros gross per month).
The total injection for the Flemish healthcare sector therefore amounts to 1.1 billion euros per year. Minister of Welfare and Public Health Wouter Beke (CD&V) pointed out that the money that was released by the previous Flemish government must also be added to this. As a result, the extra budget would amount to a total of 1.3 billion euros.
Months of negotiations
The Flemish government and the social partners have been negotiating for months about wage and working conditions in the sector and about easing the workload for personnel in the sector.
After the federal government promised a premium for health workers last week, the pressure on Flanders greater to also come up with extra money. “The people are furious,” was even heard from the unions.
Wouter Beke is Flemish Minister of Health, but do you know the seven other Belgian ministers with that portfolio? Watch the video below:
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