With this action, workers in the care, social assistance, childcare, disability, socio-cultural and even education sectors want to put themselves on the agenda of those responsible and negotiators. policies, particularly at the federal level.
“We are not protesting for the sake of protesting, but if we look at the leaked notes and the announced savings, we find the lack of attention given to sector personnel very alarming”explains Nathalie Lionnet, federal secretary of the socialist union Setca.
Trade union organizations are also concerned about the “total vagueness” surrounding the government agreement at Walloon level. However, they welcome the “change of direction” and the investments promised in Flanders for the non-commercial sector.
Whatever the level, the unions warn of a general shortage of staff which leads to an increase in the workload, with “hellish rates”. To end this situation, “it takes a real investment”, they emphasize.
The common union front recognizes that more resources were freed up during the Covid crisis but that they are not sufficient to hire staff, improve working conditions and remuneration or even intensify training.
“We cannot stress enough that better salaries and a better work-life balance, as well as a reduction in the workload in the sector, are an absolute necessity to make the sector more attractive” , underlines Nathalie Lionnet.
