Belgium : boost for logistic real estate and employment : flexibility on night work for e-commerce

The last years -together with the growth of e-commerce- we have also seen the development of large logistic hubs just across the borders from Belgium, especially in The Netherlands. The rules (or rather the restrictions) on night work were more flexible than in Belgium.

The government now intends to adjust the rules for night work, making night work for e-commerce possible as from 8 pm. It thereby rewrites the agreement in relation to the new government budget for 2017-2018, because there it was only provided that night work in the e-commerce would be possible from midnight. This measure was heavily criticized as an “empty box”, because a trade union could still prevent work being done between 8pm and midnight.

AS a result of this critic the texts have been adapted to make night work possible as from 8 pm, subject to the permission of one trade union. The government already intended to push this through by the end of 2015, but it did not pass because it needed approval from all trade unions.aCompanies will have the possibility in the period 2018-2019 to conclude an agreement at its company level through labor regulations. A sectoral collective bargaining agreement is to follow after 2 years, if it can be reached.

As the Council of State already positively evaluated the new text in a first reading, most likely the government will soon give the green light. It is an effort of the Belgian government to attract employment in relation to e-commerce related sectors.

Lieven Peeters, ALTIUS, Brussels ([email protected] – www.altius.com)