A union demonstration was held outside the Brussels parliament on Friday morning to support the city’s domestic workers, whose demands for a pay rise remain unaddressed.
Unlike their counterparts in Wallonia and Flanders, Brussels domestic workers have yet to receive the €0.77 hourly wage increase agreed in July through a collective labour agreement between unions and employers in the service voucher sector.
Union representatives called this disparity “unacceptable”. Marina Künzi of CSC Alimentation et Services said discussions had stalled due to the transitional government and ongoing negotiations for a new regional government.
Union member Ben Debognies emphasised the urgency of the matter, stating that discussions were supposed to take place at the beginning of October, with solutions ready to be implemented.
Karine Lalieux, PS deputy at the Brussels parliament, addressed the union demonstrators, promising to revisit the issue by the week of 24 November.
Marina Künzi expressed cautious optimism, noting progress in getting political parties to engage but vowed to keep pushing until pay increases appear on workers’ payrolls.
Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of MR, also present at the parliament, committed to making the wage hike a reality. He stressed that securing funding would be crucial and prioritised the approval of the Brussels budget as a first step.
