Non-profit sector unions protest over staffing and funding

(November 2016) A common front of trade unions in the non-profit sector organised a national demonstration on 24 November in opposition to continuing austerity and in support of new collective agreements. The sector, with over 525000 workers, covers a broad range of health, social and cultural services. The trade unions are calling for more jobs, a real pay increase and other measures to ensure qualiity employment and quality services, particularly to improve work-life balance, particularly for workers coming up to retirement.

The SETCA services union reports that the regional government of Wallonia has agreed to allocate an additional €4.5m to the non-profit sector in response to demands from the trade unions. The sector includes a range of health and social services and the extra cash will cover a harmonization of pay structures across the sectors, proper application of elements of the 2007-2009 agreement and a range of measures on employment. The union sees this as a first step to meeting its collective bargaining demands and believes that union action, including a national demonstration on 8 June, was important