COALITION AGREEMENT: NLC EXTENDS MEDICAL SWT, TIME CREDIT LANDING JOBS & TEMPORARY UNEMPLOYMENT UNTIL THE END OF 2025
What did the NLC decide on June 30? On June 30, 2025, the National Labor Council met in extremis to temporarily extend medical SWT, time credit landing jobs and temporary unemployment for white-collar employees until December 31, 2025 by concluding the new CBAs Nos. 173, 174, 175 and 176 (CBAs consultable on NLC website).
How did it come to this? Back to January 31, 2025: the new federal government published its coalition agreement, which included the immediate termination of new inflows for SWT (Unemployment regime with company supplement) (Dutch: “Stelsel van werkloosheid met bedrijfstoeslag”) (except for medical SWT) and the tightening of the conditions for time credit landing jobs.
On March 13, 2025, the Group of 10 reached an agreement whereby the final duration of the CBAs on SWT and landing jobs would be respected until June 30, 2025. The Council of Ministers confirmed this agreement and the Minister of Labor promised that the texts would be amended accordingly. However, no concrete legislative initiative has been taken until now, leading to legal uncertainty. The NLC intervened and already extended some systems until the end of 2025 to provide the necessary legal certainty.
(Medical) SWT – CBA No. 173 The previous CBA No. 165 allowed older disabled employees and employees with severe physical problems to enter into (medical) SWT. Despite the coalition agreement's intention to retain medical SWT, this CBA expired on June 30. The NLC extended this system through the new CBA No. 173. Applications submitted between January 1 and June 30, 2025 – and who are still pending at Fedris – are covered by the new CBA.
Interestingly, the other specific SWT systems – heavy jobs, night work, long work history and the construction sector – were not renewed. However, these CBAs also expired on June 30. According to Unisoc, the social partners are still negotiating this with the federal government. The NLC also confirms that discussions are continuing in consultation with the government in the context of modernizing the end-of-career systems. VBO-FEB sticks to "Other SWT-systems won’t be renewed.".
So what about general SWT? The regulations of general SWT in CBA No. 17 (for indefinite term) remain in force for now and this despite the planned abolition in the coalition agreement and the Group of 10 agreement that still provided access for employees dismissed before April 1 and meeting all requirements at the latest on June 30. Further legislative clarification remains desirable.
Time credit landing jobs – CBA Nos. 174 and 175 The right to 1/5 or half-time time credit with landing jobs and supplements from 55 years of age for employees with long work history, heavy jobs or from a company in difficulty or restructuring was regulated by CBA No. 170. Time credit with landing jobs for disabled workers from 55 years of age was made possible by CBA No. 171.
Both CBAs expired on June 30. The Group of 10 agreement provided that the final duration of these CBAs would be respected. With the new CBAs Nos. 174 and 175, the NLC extended these systems until December 31, 2025. The existing conditions remain unchanged.
Temporary unemployment – CBA No. 176 Temporary unemployment due to lack of work due to economic causes was allowed by CBA No. 172 for white-collar employees of companies without a relevant sectoral CBA, CBA at company level or company plan. The new CBA No. 176 also extends this system until December 31, 2025. The compensation per day of temporary unemployment granted by the employer to the employee is a minimum of EUR 6.59 for 2025.
