Belgian Constitutional Court Holds That Differences Between Blue And White Collar Employees Should Be Abolished

In a preliminary ruling that came down on 7 July 2011 concerning a case that had been brought before the Labour Court of Brussels (Arbeidsrechtbank / Tribunal du travail), the Belgian Constitutional Court ordered Belgian Parliament to abolish by July 2013 the difference in treatment between white collar and blue collar employees.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court considered two manifestations of the difference in treatment between these categories of employees to be unconstitutional, namely the notice period, which is longer for white collar employees, and the first unpaid day of sick leave in the blue collar employee's regime.

When a blue collar employee is not able to work due to illness, the first day of sick leave remains unpaid, unless the sick leave exceeds 14 days. In contrast, white collar employees are entitled to one month of guaranteed salary, paid at 100% by the employer, regardless of the length of their sick leave.