The unions in the chemical sector and the industry federation Essencia reached an agreement overnight, averting the strike scheduled for Friday.
Koen De Kinder from the Christian trade union ACVBIE confirmed the deal, stating that the strike notice and planned actions for Friday have been suspended.
He added that union members will now be informed and asked for a mandate to formally sign the agreement.
Andrea Della Vecchia from the ABVV-FGTB union mentioned that the ratification process will conclude by the end of next week to confirm the agreement.
Negotiations over wages and working conditions in the chemical sector had been stalled for some time, leading to protests outside companies like Pfizer and Novartis in Puurs-Sint-Amands (Antwerp) and TotalEnergies in Feluy (Hainaut).
According to Koen De Kinder, the agreement includes meal vouchers, a minimum wage increase of ten cents per hour, and improved working conditions for employees nearing retirement age.
