Around 200 domestic cleaners protested on Tuesday, demanding that their employers in the service voucher sector respect health rules.
The General Labour Federation of Belgium (FGTB) and the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (CSC) are also planning similar action at the competent Flemish and Brussels ministries.
The protesters gathered in front of Christie Morreale's office, the Walloon Minister for Employment, Health and Social Cohesion. Morreale met with the protesters and after the meeting, her office said that they were "paying attention to the situation" and that they would "carry out the necessary inspections within the framework of [their] competencies."
The housekeepers' protest comes after a FPS Employment report found that 90% of the 175 service voucher companies inspected in 2022 do not comply with health rules. The service voucher sector is a domestic work system subsidised by regional governments in Belgium.
The service voucher companies' lack of compliance comes with serious consequences for the health of domestic workers. Most offences were related to exposure to chemical agents, heavy object lifting and maternity protection.
Housekeepers' protest in Namur. Credit: Centrale Générale - FGTB
Housekeepers' unions united under the slogan 'Notre santé n'a pas de prix!' ('Our health has no price!') to demand that the Minister guarantees quality jobs and withdraws the accreditation of companies that refuse to comply with the legislation. This includes enabling cleaners to work with the right equipment and safe cleaning products.
FPS Employment had already made this demand in its report, but the companies concerned did not comply. The unions are pushing for it again to make their voices heard.
The workers request that service voucher enterprises visit clients' homes before housekeepers are sent there. Additionally, they want a risk analysis to be carried out on the potential clients' homes and regular health check-ups by an occupational physician.
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Service vouchers can be acquired by private individuals in order to benefit from housework help at an affordable rate (€10 per hour in Brussels for the first 300 hours) while providing formal employment to workers who are often hired illegally, to evade taxes and social contributions. Their work includes tasks such as cleaning, washing, ironing, shopping and transporting people with reduced mobility.
Service voucher companies are the middlemen in this system: once they are accredited by the state, they hire workers and send them out to client's homes, receiving the vouchers as a form of payment. In the Brussels-Capital Region, service vouchers are given for free to single mothers and offered at reduced rates to the elderly and people with disabilities.
