Civil servants’ pay and social benefits will rise in September after Belgium’s benchmark index was exceeded in June, but for the first time the new “cents index” will cap part of that increase.
Under the usual system, crossing the benchmark index triggers a 2 per cent rise in civil servants’ salaries and social benefits, including pensions, three months later. This time, however, the increase will only apply in full up to a set ceiling. For civil servants, the cap is €4,000 gross a month, meaning any salary above that level will not be indexed.
In practice, this means civil servants will receive no more than €80 extra a month, even if they earn more than €4,000 gross, according to HR services provider SD Worx, which confirmed the details on Friday. For social benefits, the 2 per cent increase will apply only up to €2,000, limiting the rise to a maximum of €40 a month.
The federal government has decided to apply this capped form of indexation twice during the current term. A second use of the cents index could take place from the start of 2028.
SD Worx also said that some private-sector employees will see index-linked pay rises in September, including manual and office staff in gas and electricity companies, workers in the petroleum industry and trade, workers in cement factories, and bank employees. Because these sectors use monthly or two-monthly indexation mechanisms, the increases are expected to be relatively modest, SD Worx said.
In the country’s largest joint committee, PC 200, which covers about half a million white-collar workers, wages are indexed once a year in January.
SD Worx expects an indexation of 3.76 per cent there, although that increase will also not be passed on in full. The final percentage for PC 200 will be confirmed in December.
