In a report of the Central Business Council (CRB) important figures are provided about the average hourly wage cost in Belgium and in the three neighbouring countries Germany, France and the Netherlands. The wage standard law of 1996 stipulates that the Belgian hourly wage cost may not evolve faster than the average of the hourly wage cost in the neighbouring countries. According to the CRB’s stricter calculation method of 2017, the 'official' wage difference since 1996 will amount to 1.8% at the end of 2024. However, the actual average hourly wage cost for companies is much lower than the hourly wage cost used to make the comparison with the neighboring countries. If this is taken into account, it appears that the average Belgian hourly wage cost in 2022 is 3.8% lower than the average hourly wage cost of neighboring countries. The union ACV therefore concludes that there is room for substantial wage increases.
Read on: in Dutch… Read on the report: in Dutch…
For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.