Our continued support to Belgian unions
Why industrial action is needed.
Tomorrow we will join our Belgian colleagues on the streets of Brussels, as the 13th of each month brings demonstrations against the “Arizona” coalition. These measures may not be the limit of union action, which we will continue to reaffirm our support for.
There are a whole host of reasons for working people to be disenfranchised by this new government, but unions are showing their collective strength, and refusing to allow their rights to be taken away without a fight.
This new government will be led by parties more interested in reducing the public deficit than in protecting the country's workers. Even before their ratification, Bart De Wever (N-VA) and Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR) have made clear that this government will benefit only the super-rich, and punish workers in various ways.
Much of this has stemmed from the coalition’s performative plans to tackle the so-called “slippage” in public spending. In reality, their measures appear to be ideological above all and will result in greater social inequality within the country.
Echoing the attempted reforms in France, the money earned after a lifetime of work will be the initial target. Under the new plans, pensions will be reduced by 20% in the event of early retirement (before the age of 67), which will particularly affect women (80% of whom have incomplete careers) and the most arduous professions. With an average life expectancy of 81 in Belgium, working people are being asked to spend their lives working 3.5 times more than enjoying the rewards for these efforts – a total of 49 years in employment, with less savings than expected.
Other measures will mean that working in Belgium will now be tougher and include longer hours, all in exchange for little to no increases in workers’ wallets. For example, the government has decided to extend the possibility for companies to use night work and to legalise Sunday working, thus weakening the legal framework around working hours. Furthermore, the automatic indexation of wages will be postponed until 2027, with an average increase of just €80 per worker between now and then.
Given the recent inflation crisis inflicted upon workers due to corporate profits, the limiting of indexation will lead to real term pay cuts for workers in all sectors.
Not satisfied with that, the government has also decided to target sick and unemployed workers. To achieve this, they will limit unemployment benefits after two years of inactivity (regardless of the worker's age) and reduce the benefits and wages of workers suffering from long-term illnesses (regardless of the severity of their illnesses).
These tough measures would perhaps make more sense if they were accompanied by a more solidarity-based tax contribution from the country's wealthiest citizens, but, unfortunately, this is far from being the case, with the richest 1% of Belgians set to pay €48 million less a year in taxes.
Ultimately, the new capital gains tax is a perfect reflection of the government's priorities. Previously exempt from tax, shareholders' capital gains will now be taxed at just 10% from 2026 onwards.
What's more, the MR (the government's liberal party) has specified that capital gains made more than 10 years ago will not be subject to this tax. However, this exception does not appear in the measures announced by the government and is more likely to be the result of an unwritten tacit agreement, casting doubt on the transparency of these new leaders.
Increasing working hours, forcing workers to work longer in life, reducing safeguards against real term pay cuts, targeting the sick and unemployed while enriching the rich.
Just some of the reasons we will join our colleagues in solidarity, for as long as it takes.