The retirement age for Belgian military personnel will be set in the future at around 60, Defence Minister Theo Francken told the Chamber's defence committee on Wednesday.
The current retirement age is 56, but under the government's pension reform, the statutory age is to be aligned with that of other workers, at 67. Francken stressed this did not mean soldiers would have to serve 11 more years.
Talks are ongoing, he said, but based on the proposals under discussion and the measures agreed in the pre-summer social accord, the increase would amount to only a few years. "It is fake news to claim that the military will have to work until the age of 67. Under the system being put in place, it will be around 60 for many soldiers," the minister insisted.
So far, only one trade union, the General Conference of Military Personnel (CGPM), has approved the pre-summer social accord. Other unions have consulted their members. Francken met with them on 12 September, and another meeting is scheduled for mid-October to determine whether a protocol agreement can be signed.
The minister also stated that he would have the necessary resources to finance these social measures within the 2% of GDP that the government has committed to allocating for defence.
