The railway workers of the CGSP union reaffirmed on Friday "its total opposition" to the implementation of the new provisions on hardship. It said it will have "an appropriate reaction to the height of this new attack of the government". The National Executive Board of the union will meet on April 24 to decide on possible actions.
Last Friday, the federal government gave a mandate to the Minister of Pensions, Daniel Bacquelaine (MR), to open the social dialogue on difficult jobs. The Council of Ministers approved the draft law, which defines the criteria of hardship (physical constraints, work organization, safety risk and mental or emotional hardship) and the coefficients that will be applied to either allow workers to retire earlier or increase their pension.
In a statement, the union said it deplores "the absence of any consultation" in this file. "We were right to take action in late 2017 and early 2018”, a spokesman he added. According to the union, the new provisions "will jeopardise" the pension plan of all railway workers. "They will take longer for them to retire and the amounts of pensions will be revised downwards," said the president of the CGSP railway workers, Michel Abdissi.
"Representatives of all the regional representatives will be present, and we will re-explain all that is dangerous in this reform. Then we will decide how to react", said Michel Abdissi.
The Brussels Times
