In Belgium, trade unions have secured a new collective agreement for some 100,000 workers in the retail sector, including a monthly pay rise of €25, from 1 July. The last salary increase was back in 2012.
The increase applies pro rata to part-timers, based on the number of hours worked. In addition, workers will receive a one-off bonus of €70 in December 2017.
The deal offers a helping hand to young parents, with an increase in reimbursement of childcare expenses from €2 to €3 per day, up to a maximum of €600 a year per parent and per child, until the age of three. Companies must also offer their staff two days training per annum.
A separate deal covering many small shop workers will also mean a wage increase, with special measures to bring young workers aged 16-20 into line with their older colleagues, from January 2018. Employers and unions agreed to continue talking about issues affecting the future of the sector, including quality of work and flexibility, training, and reintegration after long-term illness.