The Federation of Public Social Welfare Centres (PSWC) in Wallonia warns that 500 jobs are “directly threatened by budget cuts.”
The federation issued this warning in a press release on Wednesday, stating that PSWCs have been under pressure for some time. According to the federation, an estimated 800 additional jobs were deemed necessary in 2022 to fulfil their duties, but now 500 existing positions are at risk due to these cuts.
From 1 January next year, due to limits on unemployment benefits, 125,000 people will lose their benefits, which the federation says will result in more work for the PSWCs. Dorothée Klein, federation president and PSWC head in Namur, expressed concern: “How can we succeed where Forem (Wallonia’s equivalent to VDAB) failed, while simultaneously cutting 500 jobs?”
The federation stresses that the federal government needs to allocate sufficient resources to tackle the challenges posed by limiting the duration of unemployment benefits. However, it did not specify an exact amount required.
Top ministers of the federal government are set to meet again on Thursday in an attempt to reach a comprehensive summer agreement. Among the issues to be discussed is compensation for the PSWCs in light of the unemployment reform.
