Brussels municipality Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has introduced a tax of €5,600 per self-scanning cash register, as Mayor Catherine Moureaux argues the registers have consequences for the work itself as well as social cohesion, Bruzz reports.
The tax concerns self-scanning registers in supermarkets that allow customers to scan their purchases and make the payment without the help of an employee.
The devices help reduce queues and save time, the introduction of these cash registers also has consequences for the work itself. Moureaux explains that the customer can now do the job that was previously reserved for staff, meaning jobs are disappearing.
In addition, she argues that self-scanning cash registers have an impact on social cohesion. “Especially in neighbourhoods where many older people live because there is no contact between customers and employees,” she said.
New approach
Councillor for Finance Georges Van Leeckwyck notes that, in this difficult budgetary context for Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and most other Brussels municipalities, the municipality has diversified its resources.
“This new tax is part of this approach. We have also introduced a tax on professional film shooting and reformed the tax on public space advertising,” said Van Leeckwyck.
The average salary of a cashier is €1,686 monthly. The €5,600 tax is therefore equivalent to more than three months of an employee’s salary.
'Very strange'
Trade federation Comeos criticised the decision, calling it “very strange”. “The municipality is basically saying: stop innovating and return to the last century,” said spokesperson Hans Cardyn.
Cardyn also notes that there are currently more vacancies than candidates in Belgian supermarkets and that the workforce has increased in recent years.
He disagrees with the argument that self-scanning checkout points are detrimental to social cohesion. “There are store employees responsible for those cash registers who are also in contact with the customers,” he said. “It’s simple: this tax is created to feed the municipal treasury.”
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean saw unemployment drop by 5,3% in the last year.
