From January 1, 2025, many workers will be indexed by 3.8%, but are you one of the lucky ones?
From January 1, 2025, many workers will be indexed by 3.8%, but are you one of the lucky ones? ©Adobe Stock
This is the largest indexation in the last 10 years: more than a million Belgians are affected. The objective is to adjust salaries to changes in the cost of living, with a clear aim: to preserve the purchasing power of Belgians.
Alignment with the cost of living
More than 500,000 people are represented by the Auxiliary Joint Commission for Employees, also called Joint Commission 200, which brings together 60,000 companies. These workers will benefit from indexation from 1is next January, by +3.58%. But not all sectors will be indexed in the same way.
Wage indexations allow Belgians to maintain their purchasing power. “Workers do not consider this automatic indexation as a salary increase, because it follows the level of the cost of living. But for employers, the increase in salary costs is obviously an aspect to take into account and on which they do not have, moreover, no control. Fortunately, salary is not the only asset that employers can bank on. They can also stand out by investing in sustainable careers and taking an interest in the well-being of their employees. They can have much more control over these aspects,” explains Laura Couchard, legal expert at Acerta Consult.
Not just the CP200s
Many categories of workers will be affected by this indexation, even if the CP 200 were often cited, because they are more numerous. “Workers in the food industry, transport of goods on behalf of third parties and catering, for example, can expect their salary to adjust to inflation of 3.57% (hospitality 3.571%). at 1is January 2025. The food trade and the management of buildings and real estate agents apply the same salary indexation as the CP 200, namely 3.56%. International trade employees will benefit from an indexation of 3.56% and insurance companies of 3.5581%. concludes Laura Couchard.
Here is a list published by SETCa, concerning the sectors which will be indexed in 2025:
| CP 130 | joint committee for printing, graphic arts and newspapers | +3,57% |
| CP 200 | auxiliary joint committee for employees (CPAE) | + 3,58% |
| CP 216 | joint committee for employees employed by notaries | + 0,86% |
| CP 217 | joint commission for casino employees | + 3,571% |
| CP 220 | joint committee for employees in the food industry | + 3,57% |
| CP 226 | joint committee for employees in international trade, transport and related industries | + 3,58% |
| CP 302 | joint committee for the hotel industry | + 3,571% |
| CP 306 | joint committee of insurance companies | + 3,58192% |
| CP 310 | joint commission for banks | + 0,22% |
| CP 311 | joint commission for large retail companies | +2% |
| CP 320 | joint commission of funeral directors | + 1,21% |
| CP 323 | joint committee for building management and domestic workers | + 3,58% |
| CP 333 | joint commission for tourist attractions | + 3,58% |
| CP 340 | joint commission for orthopedic technologies | + 3,58% |
| CP 341 | joint commission for intermediation in banking and investment services | + 3,58% |
Belgium
