A nighttime worker could lose up to €615 gross per month if night shift bonuses only apply to hours worked between midnight and 5:00, according to calculations by CSC Food and Services.
The federal government plans to redefine night work as the hours worked between midnight and 5:00, instead of the current period from 20:00 to 6:00. “The primary issue behind this change concerns night shift bonuses, which would no longer be paid for the four hours before midnight or the last hour of the night. The change should focus on new workers,” stated CSC Food and Services in a press release on Tuesday.
The union calculated the potential loss for night workers if these hours are not considered. A night worker earning minimum wage in a food retail warehouse would lose €342 per month. “This example is based on minimum wage workers, but most earn higher wages,” the union clarified. It estimates the loss could reach up to €615 gross per month.
“Night shift bonuses compensate for the significant difficulty of night work,” said Luc Debast, spokesperson for CSC Food and Services for the food retail sector. “The Arizona government claims to want better payment for workers but, by reducing night bonuses, it pays less to those in some of the toughest jobs. Additionally, it plans to extend the law prohibiting gross wage increases at least until 2027. There is a gap between words and actions. We call for the abandonment of the proposed reform of night work.”
