The unions will not be satisfied with the measures taken so far by the federal authorities to help individuals to face the energy crisis. FGTB, CSC and CGSLB are meeting this Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. at Place de la Monnaie in Brussels to make their voices heard. The first two will then go to the Mont des Arts, not far from the headquarters of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB). Workers’ organizations continue to demand an amendment to the wage standard law which, in their view, prevents any increase in wages.
When the demonstration was scheduled regarding two months ago, it was also the 1996 law on wages which was to constitute the first demand of the rally on Wednesday. “But we have been overwhelmed by the rise in energy prices which has become a real social emergency“, we comment to the FGTB.
For “tax justice”
The unions are surprised by the very short-lived nature of the recent measures announced by the government, such as reductions in the energy bill for the months of November and December. “What regarding the bulk of winter?”, asks the FGTB. “At a time when many families have seen their monthly energy bill double or even triple, the aid granted seems insignificant, but also far too limited in time.“For workers’ representatives, there are not thirty-six solutions: we need real tax justice.”By taxing the excess profits of companies, in particular energy, we can release sufficient resources and implement an effective and sustainable support plan.“
The CGSLB will not go to the FEB headquarters
The CSC recalls, for its part, that there is no question of touching automatic indexation and that decent wages are essential in order to enable families to bear the costs of energy and living in general. The CGSLB insists on the need to regain real freedom of negotiation “which was confiscated by the Wages Act 1996“. It pleads for a reform of this law. The calculation of the margin is no longer adapted to the national and international economic reality. The wage increase margin should therefore once once more be indicative in order to allow better remuneration in companies in good health. The liberal union will not go to the headquarters of the FEB, believing that the main recipient of its message is the government. Wednesday’s action was initially a concentration of activists in the Place de la Monnaie and the CGSLB wishes to maintain a gradation in the union protest.
The rally and procession are indeed only a warning shot from the union camp. An inter-professional general strike has already been announced for November 9. Stib, TEC, SNCB and De Lijn have issued a warning to their customers regarding Wednesday.