Employers and trade unions, united in the Group of Ten, are calling for maximum teleworking where possible, certainly until the end of the year.
Following a meeting with Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke on Wednesday, unions and employers issued a joint appeal.
"The Group of Ten calls on all employers, employees and the self-employed to telework as much as possible," they said. "Partial teleworking should at least be the rule for all jobs that lend themselves to it and to the extent that the continuity of business operations, activities, services and the welfare of employees allow."
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At the end of October, the Consultative Committee decided to make teleworking "strongly recommended" again, in order to reduce the number of contacts at work and on public transport.
Since then, Vandenbroucke has regularly pleaded for more teleworking in the fight against the virus, including on VTM News on Wednesday afternoon. "Everyone will have to help to push back this virus, including the business world."
"For people who cannot telework, the conditions must be as safe as possible," Vandenbroucke said, adding that "more caution" should also be exercised in schools.
However, whether or not working from home will be made obligatory is not the right question. "We have to take action ourselves and become a lot more cautious. Face mask must be worn again, the distance must be kept and ventilation must be in order," he added.
