The three Flemish unions, the socialist ABVV, the liberal ACLVB and the Christian ACV, are satisfied with the decision of the regional government to increase the price of service vouchers by one euro in the north of the country. Workers’ representatives call on employers to negotiate a sectoral agreement as quickly as possible, so that the salary increase for domestic helpers can come into force from January.
The cost of service vouchers in Flanders will increase on January 1 from 9 to 10 euros. Users who exchange securities from 2024 to 2025 will also have to pay this surcharge. The purchase price of service vouchers will also follow indexations in the future.
This additional euro should “entirely” go to the Flemish workers who provide these services, believes the regional Minister of Employment, Zuhal Demir (N-VA). She is committed to playing mediator between employers and unions so that an agreement “is concluded as quickly as possible and that housekeepers finally earn what they deserve”.
Workers in this sector receive one of the lowest average gross monthly salaries on the market, the unions point out.
The sector federation Federgon says it is ready to negotiate quickly and constructively, as well as to apply this one euro increase retroactively if necessary.
Service vouchers are very popular in Flanders. Some 750,000 Flemish people use them, offering work to some 127,000 people who are mostly out of school. The mechanism also makes it possible to fight against undeclared work.
In addition to the increase in the price of the title, its tax deductibility (1.8 euros per check) will also disappear.
Belgium
