The National Labor Council adopts 4 new CBA

1) Unemployment scheme with company supplement (CBA No. 173) 

CBA No. 173 extends the entitlement for certain older workers who are less able or have serious physical problems. 

Background 

CBA No. 165 of May 30, 2023, introduced the right for workers aged 58 or older with serious health problems to benefit from the unemployment scheme with company supplement.  

The conditions are as follows:   

• Be aged 58 during the period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, inclusive, and at the latest at the end of the employment contract;  
• Have a professional career of at least 35 years at the latest at the end of the employment contract;  
• Either have a status as a disabled worker recognized by a competent authority, or have serious physical problems that significantly impede the continuation of the profession and caused, in whole or in part, by professional activity, or be a worker who was exposed to asbestos for two years before 1993 (assimilated to serious physical problems). The worker must provide proof of recognition by the competent authority or a certificate from FEDRIS.  
• Have been dismissed, except for serious reasons, during the period of validity of the agreement.  

The number of beneficiaries of these provisions is limited to 1,200 people per year.  

CBA No. 165 was concluded for a limited period for unemployment schemes with company supplements that take effect from July 1, 2023, and expires on June 30, 2025. 

In certain cases, workers may retain their entitlement to the unemployment scheme with company supplement if they submitted their application for recognition of their serious physical problems before January 1, 2025, or if they submitted an application for recognition on the basis of the agreement and informed their employer of their actions.  

Extension  

CBA No. 173 extends this system for unemployment schemes with company supplements that start on or after July 1, 2025, and expires on December 31, 2025—subject to possible extension after evaluation.  

2) End-of-career time credit (CBA No. 174) 

CBA No. 174 extends the right to benefits from age 55 for certain categories of workers. 

Background  

In principle, workers who exercise their right to end-of-career time credit at 1/5th or half-time are entitled to interruption benefits from the age of 60.  

CBA No. 170 of May 30, 2023, introduced an exception to this principle. Under certain conditions, workers whose time credit began before July 1, 2025, could receive interruption allowances, payable by the ONEm, from the age of 55.  

In concrete terms, workers aged between 55 and 59 who reduce their working hours under an end-of-career time credit scheme are eligible for interruption allowances in the following cases:  

• long career (35 years as an employee);  
• heavy work (shift work, interrupted work, work involving night shifts, workers in the construction sector who are unable to continue their professional activity);  
• company undergoing restructuring or in difficulty.  

In cases of long careers and heavy work, the age limit of 55 applies only if the social partners conclude a sectoral collective agreement in application of the interprofessional collective agreement. Similarly, in the event of restructuring or difficulties within the company, the derogation is applicable only if the employer has concluded a company collective agreement based on the interprofessional collective agreement.  

The social partners have concluded CBA No. 170 for a limited period, so that this derogation expired on June 30, 2025.  

Extension   

CBA No. 174 extends the system for workers aged 55 or over who start or extend end-of-career time credit between July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025.  

Previous sectoral and/or company CBAs concluded in applicaition of CBA no. 170 are no longer effective.  

Thus, in the absence of new sectoral or company CBA, workers will not be able to benefit from the reduction in the age limit to 55. They will only be able to receive interruption allowances under an end-of-career time credit scheme from the age of 60.  

3) End-of-career time credit (CBA No. 175) 

CBA No. 175 extends the right to benefits from age 55 for certain workers with reduced working capacity.  

Background 

In principle, workers who exercise their right to end-of-career time credit at 1/5th or half time are entitled to interruption allowances from the age of 60.  

CBA No. 171 introduced an exception to this principle. Under certain conditions, workers whose time credit began before July 1, 2025, were eligible for interruption allowances, payable by the ONEm, from the age of 55.  

In concrete terms, workers between the ages of 55 and 59 who reduce their working hours under an end-of-career time credit scheme are eligible for interruption allowances in the following cases:  

• reduction of working hours to half-time or 1/5th in accordance with CBA No. 103 establishing a time credit system;  
• a career of at least 25 years as an employee;  
• target group of disabled workers employed in adapted work companies, social workshops or "maatwerkbedrijven."  

The social partners concluded CBA No. 171 for a limited period, so that this derogation expired on June 30, 2025.  

Extension   

CBA No. 175 extends the system for workers aged 55 or over who start or extend end-of-career time credit between July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025.   

The social partners may adapt or extend the scheme after December 31, 2025. CBA No. 175 provides for the possibility of gradually raising the age limit after that date.  

4) Temporary unemployment for economic reasons (CBA No. 176) 

CBA No. 176 maintains the simplified scheme.  

Background   

CBA No. 172 introduced a simplified scheme allowing for the partial or total suspension of the employment contract in the event of a lack of work due to economic reasons.   

CBA No. 172 applies to white-collar workers employed under an employment contract. It applies to companies referred to as "in difficulty" (as defined in Article 77/1, §4 of the Act of July 3, 1978, on employment contracts) that are not bound by a sectoral or company CBA or an individual agreement on this matter.   

The CBA allows the employment contract to be suspended for a maximum period of 16 weeks per calendar year (in the event of total suspension) or 26 weeks (in the event of reduced working hours). In addition, it provides for the worker concerned to receive a guaranteed income of at least EUR 6.59 per day of unemployment.   

The start and end dates of the period of economic unemployment must fall within the period of validity of the interprofessional collective agreement.  

This CBA ceased to be in force on June 30, 2025.   

CBA No. 172 is supplementary in nature. Consequently, existing agreements providing for a derogation may continue to apply.  

Extension  

CBA No. 176 extends the simplified economic unemployment scheme for employees in companies in difficulty until December 31, 2025.   

Sources:    

• Collective Labor Agreement No. 173 of June 30, 2025, establishing, for the period from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, the conditions for granting a company supplement in the context of unemployment with company supplement for certain older workers who are less able or have serious physical problems, in the event of dismissal.  
• Collective labor agreement No. 174 of June 30, 2025, establishing, for the period from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, the interprofessional framework for adjusting the age limit of 55 for access to end-of-career benefits for workers who have a long career, who perform heavy work or who are employed in a company in difficulty or undergoing restructuring.  
• Collective labor agreement No. 175 of June 30, 2025, establishing, for the period from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, the interprofessional framework for adjusting the age limit to 55 for access to end-of-career benefits for certain workers with reduced working capacity. 
• Collective labor agreement No. 176 of June 30, 2025, establishing a system of total suspension of the employment contract and/or a reduced working time system in the event of a lack of work resulting from economic causes for employees.