Some 300,000 workers will not be entitled to all of their leave or holiday pay this year. At issue: temporary unemployment in 2022.
According to the Christian trade union, a total of 6,875,329 days of corona unemployment are not assimilated and therefore not taken into account for the right to vacation. By working, one contributes in effect for his paid holidays for the following year as well as for his double savings. When unemployed, you do not contribute. Unless the days of unemployment are assimilated… Which is not the case for the days of corona unemployment in the year 2022.
Labor Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS) is proposing to increase the employers’ contribution, at least temporarily. A minister’s proposal to free up the necessary resources at last October’s budget conclave did not find sufficient support at the time, Dermagne says. “In the absence of resources released within the framework of the budgetary conclave, a temporary increase in employers’ contributions seems to us to be the only remaining option. »
The minister’s proposal will be presented to the management committee of the Office National des Vacances Annuelles (ONVA) on Wednesday. According to the socialist union, the intention is to increase the employer’s contribution by 0.19% over a period of 5 years, which would translate into a total income for ONVA of 338 million euros over five years.
For the socialist union too, a temporary “solidarity contribution” from companies could quickly solve the problem. “Companies were able to take advantage of temporary unemployment due to force majeure due to corona, at the expense of the community. We can now also expect an effort from them,” said the ABVV.
The union will intervene on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the headquarters of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB) to remind employers of their responsibility and demand the payment of a solidarity contribution. Several hundred activists are expected there.