2023-10-04 16:51:00
While the elections of June 2024 are already occupying political parties almost full time, with the preparation of lists and programs, the memoranda are in full bloom.
At the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia (UVCW), we have a whole box of them: a memorandum for each level of power, a “special CPAS”, a “special housing companies”. And two others are on the fire, including one written “four hands” with the Provinces. The Commons want human reinforcement, structured consultation with all levels of power, solutions worthy of the 21st century and an end to patches.
Some essentials.
1. Regionalize early childhood and sport
“We see that there is a reflection on the Wallonia-Brussels Federationbegins Michèle Boverie, general secretary of the UVCW. We ask that childhood be regionalized for the sake of consistency. We need to simplify all of this. There is significant municipal involvement in the sector (Editor’s note: early childhood care).” The same goes for sport: one and the same minister (Walloon), responsible for subsidizing infrastructure and for substantive policies.
2. Reform of the Provinces: hunting for duplicates
Pour “ensure real clarity of the Walloon institutional landscape“, the UVCW wants”an in-depth reform of the provincial institution, to avoid duplication and redistribute missions, personnel and financing “This is a demand that the UVCW shares with the Walloon Provinces, underlines Maxime Daye, president of the Union. “We are in the same boat; they must reform in depth. They themselves open the door to an overhaul.“And to begin with, the Provinces might provide emergency areas with services dedicated to public procurement, accounting, etc..”Anything that can help turn an area around“, summarizes Michèle Boverie.
3. Help, the Zones…
The emergency zones, precisely. On the grounds of their commune, Maxime Daye (Braine-le-Comte) and the vice-president of the UVCW Jean-Paul Bastin (Malmedy) make the observation: “There is an explosion in costs linked to emergency areas. The reform had to cost less. And it’s quite the opposite “Thus, in Braine-le-Comte, the charge increased from €400,000/year before the reform to €1 million/year today. The obligation to leave 6 firefighters on a fire”pushes to hire especially professionals “. Statutory ones, which therefore cost more.”The emergency zones are the system that will break down during the next legislature. It will be unaffordable. And it’s a gas factory, management side“, they worry.
4. Pensions: why not a municipal contract?
The other threatening issue which seems lost for years in a temporal spiral: the financing of municipal agents’ pensions. “Sword of Damocles”, “ball” or “time bomb”, according to the established formulas, the file seems as untameable as it is financeable.
The idea that the UVCW wishes to put on the negotiating table is that of a specific status, a municipal contract. We no longer appoint anyone, everyone is contracted, while retaining some “before” advantages. “The pensions of city and municipal agents would return to the overall pot of the ONSS, which is much better financed. Walloon municipalities appoint their agents less and less. The federal system mainly benefits Flanders “, note Maxime Daye. “
We don’t realize how unfair this system is. And for municipal finances, it is above all zero predictabilitytestifies Jean-Paul Bastin. It’s one letter per year where we announce amounts that are anything but marginal: it amounts to hundreds of thousands of euros. It’s ludicrous and absurd. We are working with a system from the last century, which no longer meets the current situation and needs. We are facing bankruptcies in the Commons.“
5. Recruitments: attractiveness close to zero
“This is probably the least sexy claim“, admits Maxime Daye. But the question of human resources is severely weighing down the municipalities. “There are no technical agents, lawyers, eco-advisors, etc. “
Jean-Paul Bastin continues: “ We can no longer keep our talents. The nomination argument no longer works among young people. And then, when we try to recruit an engineer or a computer scientist, when it comes to salary, they ask if it’s per month. “No, it’s per year…”. The rules of the game date from Toine Culot. But we are in the 21st century “, the Malmedien gets irritated. The Minister of Local Authorities Christophe Collignon has been working on a reform in this regard. “A reformnuance Maxime Daye. But we’re moving in the right direction.”
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