The solidarity bonus of €300 granted to workers in the health care sector under federal jurisdiction has received the go-ahead from the Council of Ministers, Labour Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne announced on Friday.
A budget of more than €50 million is planned for the bonuses, whereas €37.5 million was still under discussion five months ago during the debates in the House of Representatives.
"We remain indebted to these women and men who were on the front line during the first wave of the health crisis," Demargne commented.
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The deadline for issuing the cheques, which will be delivered in paper or electronic form, will run until 30 June 2021. The cheques will be usable until 31 December 2021.
The project had been launched under the previous government, which had enabled employers to offer workers a "consumption" cheque for €300 net, exempt from charges, to be used in sectors in difficulty (hospitality, culture, etc.)
Nursing staff, however, risked never seeing these cheques given the financial difficulties of the sector. An amendment Belgium's two socialist parties had therefore, last June, allowed specific funding for establishments in the sector to grant this cheque. Since then, the project has been the subject of social consultations.
The Brussels Times
