One of Belgium’s leading trade unions has criticised the expected next Belgian government’s proposals as seriously affecting the retail sector, stating that they will cause "collective burnouts" among staff.
The National Employees' Centre (CNE), part of the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (ACV-CSC), has accused the negotiating parties for the next Federal Government of wanting to "attack workers" with the new socio-economic proposals.
Belgian retail sector's working conditions will be seriously affected by the measures proposed by former government formator Bart De Wever (N-VA) in his 'super-note', and discussed with possible coalition partners MR, Les Engagés, CD&V and Vooruit.
According to the CNE, the (so-called) Arizona government measures will "cause mass burnout among workers." The measures have also been criticised this week by the Socialist Trade Union (FGTB) leader Thierry Bodson, who called them "the greatest social regression in 80 years."
'Obsessed with reducing wage bill'
Under the new proposals, De Wever seeks to abolish the bans on working on Sundays, night shifts and on public holidays. The rules on opening hours would also be relaxed.
The right-wing Flemish nationalist also proposed changing the starting time of night work from 20:00 to midnight, as well as bringing in the annualisation of working hours.
These would affect other sectors, but the CNE says that overwork and poor working conditions are already a "recurrent" problem in the retail industry. It argues that extending opening hours would only worsen the situation. Fewer staff would also be spread out across a longer period.
"Employers are obsessed with reducing the wage bill in order to preserve dividends," said Myriam Djegham, National Trade Secretary for the CNE. "We have no illusions that they are hiring to cover the extra opening hours."
Les Engages' leader Maxime Prevot and MR leader Georges-Louis Bouchez hold a joint press conference on Thursday 11 July 2024. Credit: Belga Laurie Dieffembacq
'Not fooled'
According to the union, the majority of retail workers are women, with a significant proportion of these are single mothers with children.
Often working on Saturdays and returning home late in the evening, the spread of Sunday working and the extension of night-time working hours will make reconciling work and private life even more difficult.
The annualisation of working hours will greatly affect part-time workers, who could be forced to find themselves working full-time over busy periods such as July or December, but without the wage or private time benefits.
"While MR claims to be defending workers and Les Engagés only pay lip-service to health – we are not fooled. The super-note reveals the interests they are really defending," the CNE said in a press release.
The union has called for a mobilisation of retail sector workers in order to fight against measures that "are 100% in favour of the big retailers, to the detriment of workers and small businesses."
