New Collective Labour Agreement for flexworkers as of January 1, 2026 Equivalent employment conditions for flexworkers

As of January 1, 2026, a new collective labour agreement (CLA) for flexworkers will come into effect, with a term running until December 31, 2028. This agreement is the result of extensive negotiations between the ABU, NBBU and trade union LBV. The key principle is that, from 2026 onwards, flexworkers will be entitled to employment conditions that are at least equivalent in value to those of permanent employees at the client company. This means that not only wages, but the total employment package must carry the same value as that of employees in permanent positions.

The equivalent employment package

To understand the impact of this change, it is important to distinguish between “equal” and “equivalent.” Where “equal” means that something is exactly the same, “equivalent” means to be of equal value, to be worth the same.

Until now, flexworkers were paid according to the hirer’s remuneration. This means that they receive the same pay as employees of the client performing similar work. The wage consisted of a fixed set of elements, such as gross hourly wage, supplements, travel expenses, and fixed bonuses, for example, a 13th month. This system will be replaced by an “equivalency package.” This involves much more than just salary. Wages include everything an employee receives in exchange for work, excluding pension. That is why, from 2026, flexworkers will be entitled to an equivalent employment conditions package: a total package that is at least equal in value to that of permanent employees in a comparable position.

What does this mean for employers?

For employers, the new CLA will bring about significant changes. Temporary employment is expected to become more expensive, partly due to the introduction of a new, market-based pension for flexworkers, but mainly because the entire employment conditions package is included in the remuneration.

In order to be able to offer flexworkers an equivalent compensation, it is crucial that employers provide full insight into all employment conditions of their permanent employees. This includes elements such as bonuses, extra days off, training budgets, but also facilities such as parking spaces or sports subscriptions.

If certain employment conditions are difficult to adopt, there is room to compensate for them in an alternative and equivalent way. For example a gym membership can be replaced by a monthly allowance.

This development requires clear agreements, smart systems and, above all, transparency. 

National guidelines and tools are currently being developed to make the exchange of information between clients and employment agencies easier and more structured. We will follow up about this later this year, once more information becomes available.

A fair step forward

Co-founder of Heroyam, Bart Dikkeschei is involved in the collective labor agreement negotiations as a member of the core delegation, on behalf of the ABU. He looks back with pride on the agreement reached:

This new collective labor agreement means a new standard for temporary work. At Heroyam, we are already preparing for the changes, so that we can support our clients and offer our flexworkers what they deserve: fair work, with equal reward.