Minister of Employment David Clarinval (MR) has dismissed concerns raised by a joint study from the ACV union and think tank Minerva about the effects of the government’s planned reform of night work.
He clarified that the measure would be limited to specific sectors and only apply to new employment contracts.
The reform stems from the Summer Agreement of the De Wever government, which aims to relax current rules on night work. The general ban on night work—already subject to some exceptions—will be eliminated.
Under the plan, night work bonuses will only apply between midnight and 5:00 in the e-commerce and logistics sectors. Existing workers on night shifts will remain unaffected by the changes.
The ACV union and Minerva claim the reform could cost workers at least €343 in gross wages, but Clarinval has rejected these conclusions. According to him, the proposal approved in its preliminary reading by the Council of Ministers applies to five specific collective bargaining committees, excluding sectors like food trade (PC 119), clerical employees (PC 200), and road transport/logistics for third parties (PC 140.03).
The draft text is currently under review by the Council of State, and advice is being solicited from the National Labour Council and the Central Economic Council. Clarinval noted that the list of sectors could still change and confirmed that existing contracts would maintain their current rights. Collective Agreement 49, which governs night work premiums, remains valid.
Clarinval criticised the study as politically motivated, accusing it of using fear tactics. Axel Ronse, N-VA parliamentary leader, also condemned what he described as a “hoax” propagated for months by “unions and far-left parties.”
“Healthcare workers are messaging me, worried they’ll lose their bonuses for work starting at 20:00, and my answer is clear: no, they won’t!” Ronse asserted. “Even new hires will continue receiving the bonus from 20:00, just as they do today.”
According to Ronse, the only change is that future employees in e-commerce and related sectors will earn night bonuses starting from midnight, unless covered by a collective agreement. Current workers will continue receiving bonuses from 20:00.
Ronse argued that the reform is essential to prevent Belgium from losing its e-commerce sector to neighbouring Netherlands, which could cost jobs. “There is no more, and no less,” he concluded.
