Ecolo calls for a review of the Wage Standards Act

Also for the ruling party Ecolo, employees at companies that have had a good year should receive more than a 0.4 percent salary margin at the top of the index. This is what Co-Presidents Jean-Marc Nollet and Raja Ma’an said in their May 1 letter. They believe that the wage law that was reformed by the previous government should be reconsidered once more, as it would make social dialogue very difficult.

The measure came after negotiations between trade unions and employers over a wage increase were concluded this week. It turns out that the gap between the social partners is very deep.

It is now up to the government to make the decision. The government has to show creativity. Nolet says, “ The 1996 Act has become a tough, but possible, pillar. In any case, the French-speaking Greens endorse the call for something extra at companies that have performed well.

For this innovation, Ecolo looks to the “margin of safety” embedded in Section 5 of the Act. According to Nollet, this margin is meaningless in the case of the crisis that our country is going through today. By focusing this margin on profitable sectors, he says there is room to give employees a promotion beyond what is on the table today.

For Ecolo, the Pay Standards Act 1996 needs revision. This law was tightened by Michel’s previous government. “Obstructing negotiations shows once again that the law seriously impedes social dialogue, but it also prevents balanced wage increases in the health sectors and constitutes an obstacle to evaluating exceptional performance in crisis situations,” the statement said.

The law in question is out of date, according to the two presidents. We must restore and complete this law. It is inconsistent to only view wage costs as the only factor in our prosperity. We also need to consider other criteria, such as training, energy bill management, innovation, investments, research, etc.