Belgian railway to stop hiring statutory employees from 2028
The Belgian railway sector will stop hiring statutory employees from 1 January 2028. The change is part of a preliminary agreement reached at the end of April between the Belgian rail unions and Mobility minister Jean-Luc Crucke.
After months of strike action, the rail unions ACOD Spoor, ACV-Transcom, and VSOA Spoor reached an agreement with minister Crucke in late April. While the details were initially unclear, L-Post reported on Tuesday that the phase-out of statutory employment is included in the deal.
Statutory employees hold civil servant status within the Belgian public sector—positions that are highly sought-after due to their strong job security and generous pensions. However, these benefits mean that they are also expensive for companies. As a result, statutory roles are being phased out across Belgium, with the railway sector now following that trend.
The move had been a major point of contention during negotiations. A compromise was reached: statutory hiring will continue until 1 January 2028, after which all new staff will be hired on a contractual basis.
CBA to follow
The agreement also includes a commitment to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for contractual staff within the national joint committee. A two-thirds majority will still be required to approve any decisions made in this context.
Additionally, the agreement states that railway company NMBS/SNCB and infrastructure manager Infrabel will become the legal employers of their own staff, taking over recruitment and selection responsibilities. HR Rail, which currently handles hiring, will continue to exist but will shift its focus to providing legal expertise.
The unions are now submitting the preliminary deal to their members. The socialist and christian unions, the largest railway unions, will make their decision on 27 May. Meanwhile, negotiations on pensions - the central issue behind the strikes - are still ongoing with Pensions minister Jan Jambon.
© BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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