Rise in national minimum wage in Belgium on hold


Belgian unions and employers have failed to reach agreement on an increase in the country’s national minimum wage. 


Belgium is unusual in that the minimum wage is fixed by negotiation between the two sides, with the increase normally agreed as part of the two-yearly pay settlement covering the whole economy.


However, this year, the FGTB union confederation blocked a binding collective agreement which would have increased the minimum wage in July.


The FGTB has since then accepted an improved increase of 1.1% in November and 2.4% in April 2020.


However, in October, the employers withdrew their acceptance, saying they would only agree if the government made changes to redundancy arrangements, reducing their cost to the employers. This was unacceptable to the unions and an increase in the minimum wage is currently on hold.