What is collective agreement no. 17?
Before discussing the changes to collective agreement no. 17, it is helpful to briefly explain what this agreement involves.
Collective agreement no. 17 is the agreement between the social partners that established the early retirement scheme and later the SWT (unemployment scheme with company supplement) in detail. The agreement stated that employees who were 62 years old, had worked for 40 years as an employee, and were dismissed by their employer had the right to SWT.
This means that an employee was entitled to a compensation from the employer in addition to unemployment benefits. The employee received this employer-paid supplement until their retirement. For employees in certain sectors, a social fund provided this supplement.
What changes are being made to collective agreement no. 17?
In the latest version of collective agreement no. 17, the social partners have decided that most employees can no longer join the SWT scheme based on this agreement.
Only employees who meet these three conditions will still be able to join the SWT scheme in the future:
- Be dismissed by April 1, 2025 at the latest, except for urgent reasons, as defined by the legislation regarding labour contracts
- Have reached the age of 62 years by June 30, 2025 at the latest and at the time of the end of the employment contract
- Have achieved a professional career of at least 40 years by the end of the employment contract, even if the employment contract ends after June 30, 2025
Employees who meet these conditions and whose notice period expires after June 30, 2025 retain the right to the company supplement.
What does not change in collective agreement no. 17?
The changes mentioned above are the only changes to collective agreement no. 17. This means that former employees who were already on SWT will continue to do so under the same conditions.
For them, nothing changes. The times when the company supplement is indexed or re-evaluated remain the same.
Who can still enter SWT?
There are still a few categories of employees who will be able to enter SWT.
On one hand, this includes older disabled employees recognised as disabled by the government. On the other hand, it includes employees with serious physical problems that must be fully or partially caused by work.
Collective agreements no. 177 and no. 178 ensure that employees who meet the conditions of these agreements can still enter SWT at least until June 30, 2029. Employees must be at least 58 years old and have 35 years of professional experience as an employee.
What does Securex do for you?
If you have any questions about SWT, you can contact your Securex Legal Advisor at myHR@securex.be.
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