“The difference between work and non-work should be greater,” said Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, who, along with Flemish parliamentarian Maurits Vande Reyde, will headline the congress in May. The party will present a number of proposals aimed, in its view, at widening the income gap between workers and non-workers.
The Liberals also want to group together in a form of “single social amount” the various aids enjoyed by unemployed people, whether in energy bills, the price of transport, etc. An amount that would be linked to the fact of being available for employment, and limited in time.
Finally, the Open VLD also recommends broadening and deepening the Flemish employment bonus, the “jobbonus”, currently intended for Flemish people who work but earn less than 2,500 euros gross per month. The party wants to extend this bonus to all workers, including the self-employed, and recommends tripling the amount. Workers might thus obtain up to 1,800 euros in tax reduction per year, or 150 euros net more per month, advances Open Vld.