The socialist BBTK trade union has warned voters ahead of the local elections of the threat to women's rights if right-wing parties make gains.
Talks for the formation of a Federal Government are still ongoing, the contents of the measures proposed by government formator Bart De Wever (N-VA) in his 'super-note', discussed with possible coalition partners MR, Les Engagés, CD&V and Vooruit, has raised concerns among trade unionists. The union's president Myriam Delmée argued that the proposals prove women remain victims of unfair political statements and decisions.
"A right-wing wind is blowing that threatens to turn into a destructive tornado for women, their rights, their welfare and their future," she said. "From measures on taxes, the labour market and end-of-career to pensions or the debate on abortion rights or their place in society, they have everything to lose."
Work, taxes and pensions
The draft memorandum for the government formation includes a whole series of measures on employment, which BBTK argued will make workers even more malleable. "For example, the note envisages that working time would be calculated on an annual basis," said Delmée. "This may seem innocuous, but in practice, it means that an employer can decide to adjust an employee's hourly schedules to suit their own needs."
This is deemed to be particularly disastrous for women, who make up most of the part-time workers in Belgium. Both the maximum and minimum work limits may also disappear. "This could see people work up to 48 hours a week, like the European average, or relocate to work only two hours," said Delmée.
While the union recognised that the tax reform currently on the table would improve wages, it warned this could also increase inequality among workers, especially for low wages often earned by women. The union also pointed to the proposed changes to ensure 100% deductibility of childcare costs.
"In practice, this measure will favour households with two incomes, while it will be more difficult for single women who lose their jobs to take their child to a nursery, making it even more difficult for them to return to the labour market."
The "super-note" also includes restricting time-credit schemes – allowing people to interrupt their jobs to take care of someone, a measure more often taken up by women – also threatens their job retention, BBTK argued. "These measures are likely to result in more women leaving the labour market and having to choose between a career and family responsibilities."
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Finally, it noted that the stricter end-of-career conditions also weigh heavily on female workers, threatening to put many women (especially those in precarious jobs) in a difficult financial situation. "These workers, many of whom did not work full-time throughout their careers, risk being without a sufficient safety net to live decently after retirement and are thus forced to do flexi-jobs to survive."
The union called on voters to take these "hostile" measures into account when heading to the polls on Sunday 13 October. "Don't help the right make even bigger gains. Because when they win, women lose," Delmée concluded.
