Belgium: The government announces a reform that reduces the working week to four days | There is no shortage of hourly wages or salary

Government Belgium will reform the work Which is one of its central points Reduction to four days of the work weekEven if Without decreasing the hourly wage or salary. This was announced by Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo and the three deputy prime ministers on Tuesday.

The goal, as they emphasized from the ruling coalition, is to achieve the people Better balance between work and family life s of employment rate For people between 20 and 64 years old From 71.4 percent in the third quarter of 2021 to 80 percent in 2030.

The reform states that in addition to the reduction to four working days, The same worker may ask to work for fewer hours for a week and replace it the following week.

In either case, the worker has the possibility to request such time arrangements from the employer. “The employer must justify the refusal.”said Pierre-Yves Dermann, one of the three deputy prime ministers of the Belgian executive, the Minister of Economy and Labor and a member of the Socialist Party. If there is a final agreement between the parties, it will be valid for six months..

The Belgian government’s plan also aims to Discussing the working conditions of platform workers To determine whether or not there is a subsidiary relationship with the company.

For the first time in our country, we will introduce clear criteria for completing the Law on the Nature of Employment Relationships. To be able to determine if a platform operator is working for someone else or being self-employed,” Dermayne said.

Two months ago, the European Commission submitted a proposal proposing that workers in this sector are assumed to be paid, with companies having to prove otherwise, which would mean settling more than four million fake independent workers across the European Union. ..

The government coalition also promised that labor reform would include a The right to disconnect digital of workers and strengthen Vocational training.