Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) will meet with military unions on Tuesday in his office.
The meeting is scheduled for 17:00 and aims to serve as an introductory discussion, according to the minister’s announcement on social media.
The military unions represent approximately 30,000 Defence personnel. "I will do everything to build a good, professional relationship with them. Without the personnel, Defence is worthless. Let’s work together to reach a good labour agreement," stated Francken.
Previously, these unions expressed significant concern over the pension measures included in the new federal government’s coalition agreement.
The pension age for military personnel will also increase. The unions warned that these plans might have a substantial impact on some staff members and could jeopardise the attractiveness and operational capability of the Belgian Army.
Just a week ago, the unions firmly opposed a suggestion from Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) to deploy military personnel for guarding embassies and nuclear power plants.
