Minimum Wage
Minimum pay rates are generally set by the industry-wide agreements adopted by the competent joint committees. When no such rates have been set by the Committees, an employer is required to comply with the minimum monthly pay set by the cross-industry agreements at the national level. These national-level collective agreements are concluded by the National Labour Council. The Average Monthly Guaranteed Minimum Wage (Revenu Minimum Mensuel Moyen Garanti) is the minimum amount that a full-time 21-year-old (or higher) employee in the private sector must be paid in a month. According to the 2024 amendment to Collective Labour Agreement No. 43 of 1988, employees aged 18 or older who work full-time under an employment contract are entitled to receive at least the average monthly minimum wage. Paying less than the minimum wage is prohibited in Belgium. The RMMMG, applicable to all workers in the private sector, employment is set through collective agreements negotiated in the National Labour Council. The minimum wages for different sectors can also be determined by the Joint Negotiation Committees established at the sectoral level. The sectoral minimum wage can't be less than the RMMMG. The Revenu Minimum Mensuel Moyen Garanti is applicable to all full-time workers 21 years and older. Workers under the age of 21 years (from 16 years to 21 years) are entitled to a lower rate of pay, as a percentage of the national or sectoral minimum wage, ranging from 70% for workers aged 16 years to 96% for workers aged 20 years. The RMMMG and sectoral minimum wages are indexed to the consumer price index (CPI). Part-time workers are also entitled to the RMMMG calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the number of hours worked (full-time work is 38 hours per week).
The Wage Norm Act,1996, regulates the power of employers to increase workers’ wages. The maximum margin for wage increase, ie, the norm, is set by the social partners based on the report of the National Economic Council. If no agreement is reached between the social partners, the maximum margin is determined by Royal Decree.
The 2017 amendment in the Wage Norm Act provides that the National Labour Council should formalise the wage norm as agreed upon by the social partners in a Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the event of violation of this wage norm, the social inspection services may impose administrative fines. This amount is multiplied by the number of employees concerned with a multiplier maximum of 100.
Compliance with minimum wage rates is ensured by the Belgian Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue. In the event of minimum wage violations, an individual may file a complaint with the labour inspectorate.
The Law of 17 Dec 2024 transposed the EU Minimum Wages Directive, defining “minimum wage” in Belgian law and obliging the government to monitor and promote collective bargaining coverage to at least 80%. If this threshold is not reached, the government is obliged to establish a framework, after consulting the National Labour Council, to improve bargaining conditions. Furthermore, a minimum wage database is launched to provide staff with greater transparency. To protect workers who report infractions, the law forbids retaliation and dismissal, granting 12 months of protection against hostile treatment and dismissal, or until three months after a final court decision if the case proceeds to court. Employers face fines for infractions, in addition to regular severance, compensation equal to two to three months' gross pay for retaliation, and four to six months' gross salary for wrongful termination. These protections cover employee representatives acting for complainants. In temporary agency work, responsibility for compliance rests with the user undertaking where the worker is officially employed.
The inter-professional minimum wage was increased in April 2024, and another rise is scheduled for 1 April 2026.
Source: The Collective Bargaining Agreement No. 43 of 1988; Convention Collective De Travail N 43 Duodecies; Loi sur les conventions collectives de travail et les commissions paritaires 1968; CCT n° 50bis du CNT du 28 mars 2013 modifiant la convention collective de travail n° 50 du 29 octobre 1991 relative à la garantie d'un revenu minimum mensuel moyen aux travailleurs âgés de moins de 21 ans; https://www.salairesminimums.be/document.html?jcId=31ff47e2da5043f0a1fe192a701fa020&date=01/05/2017;§4 & 7-11 of the Law of 17 December 2024
For updated minimum wage rates, please refer to the section on minimum wage.
Regular Pay
In accordance with Law of 12 April 1965 regarding Protection of Workers' Compensation, "it is unlawful for an employer to restrict in any manner whatsoever the freedom of the worker to dispose of his earnings at his own discretion". The remuneration may be paid in cash or through some type of transfer like bank transfer, postal cheque, postal summons or circular cheque. The remuneration in the public sector is, in principle, made in cash; however, a worker may give their written consent to transfer their remuneration through any of the above transfer methods.
Compensation must be paid at regular intervals and at least twice per month at an interval of 16 days. The blue-collar workers are paid twice a month, while white-collar workers are paid at least once a month. Salaries must be paid on a working day and at or near the workplace. Salaries must be paid at the latest four working days following the pay period, except when a collective labour agreement provides for a different deadline (the maximum limit is seven working days on completion of the period for which the salary was earned).
The law requires that wages must be paid through bank transfer, unless a collective agreement or a sectoral agreement authorises payment of remuneration in cash. The manner of wage payment must be added to the work regulations of the enterprise.
The remuneration ceiling, provided in the law of 3 July 1978 on employment contracts, has been revised from 1 January 2026. The ceiling has been changed from € 43,106 to €44,447. The upper limit has also been increased from €86,212 to € 88,895.
Employee remuneration encompasses all forms of compensation, including base salary, bonuses, and benefits provided by the employer. However, it specifically excludes overtime pay, social security benefits, and benefits received during periods of employment contract suspension. Additionally, non-recurring performance bonuses are also excluded.
If no collective labour agreement states otherwise, the average minimum monthly income for employees with variable pay is based on the average monthly income of the calendar year.
Employees are obliged to claim unpaid wages within five years, but no later than one year in the event of employment termination.
From a worker's income, only specific deductions can be legally made. These include mandatory deductions under tax and social security laws, as well as those arising from particular or group agreements for additional social security benefits. The cash advances provided by the employer, security deposits intended to guarantee the worker's performance, damages and compensation resulting from breaches of employment duties, and penalties imposed under workshop rules are also deductible. The total of such deductions should not exceed one-fifth of the employee's net cash income per payday after deducting the required and mutually agreed social security contributions.
Employers are not obliged to pay the 13th or 14th month salary to employees unless this is specified in a sector-specific collective labour agreement.
Source: Loi concernant la protection de la rémunération des travailleurs, 12 Avril 1965; §5, 6 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement No. 43 of 1988
