FairCSOs is a collective of professionals, activists, volunteers, old and newcomers from different civil society Brussels-based NGOs. We gather to discuss and inform on labour rights and on how to improve our working conditions.
In December 2020, we handed in our petition with +850 signatures asking for a salary grid for our sector to the Presidents of Commissions Paritaires 329 and 337.
Find what the petition says here
Watch the Facebook Live of the action
See our action in photo-summary here
WHAT ARE WE UP TO?
We still want a salary grid
- We followed closely the first discussion between trade unions and employers on the negotiation of a salary grid on 21 June.
- Press release of the CSC for the beginning of negotiations. Next meeting: 6th of September
- We will support Trade Unions’ mobilisations for decent work in the not for profit sector
- We will share experiences of workers involved in the development of salary scales
We keep learning about our rights
- We are developing a guide on Belgian Unions and the support service to unionise
- We will organise info sessions on why and how to set up a union delegation
JOIN US NOW!
- Attend our next events to be announced on our Facebook page
- Spread the word that we need fair working conditions with our campaign material
- Join our group of volunteers to share your ideas of next actions!
The NGO I work in has a transparent salary grid, but all the workers are still heavily underpaid compared to what I’m seeing in other job advertisements. I know the NGO sector is far from being wealthy (we all know it!) but it doesn’t justify this extremely low pay for…
Woman, 25-29 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 1-3 years
In my organisation, salaries have big discrepancies amongst people with the same job title, even with the same amount of experience, your salary can have a 500EUR+ gross difference. I tried to have a salary increase after receiving great job appraisals, but was told there was either ‘no budget’ or…
Woman, 25-29 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 4-6 years
I am currently on a one-year contract. Before that I did a full year as a CIP (Editor’s note: Contrat d’Immersion Professionnelle). I was paid 800€ which is definitely not enough to live decently in Brussels while doing the job of a junior officer. 800€ with no right to holidays…
Woman, 25-29 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 1-3 years
We work many extra hours and they are not compensated. When I was hired in 2018, my two national languages were valued (25€ per language) in my salary (French & Dutch). In 2020, my employer revised this salary grid and they removed my Dutch from it. I’ve lost 25€ per…
Woman, 30-34 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 1-3 years
My responsibilities changed, and increased a little, without my salary ever changing. Extra hours of work are not monitored and therefore not compensated, you only have the option to recuperate them, but there is never time to do so.
Woman, 25-29 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 1-3 years
If the funders of NGOs stopped considering us as “projects” and started to value the human resources needed to deliver outputs, this would help build more career development possibilities within NGOs. So while managers of NGOs should be fully in line with good management policies, the funding models could further…
Woman, 40-44 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 10+ years
In my first year, when I did not have a permanent contract, I was not paid in accordance with the salary grid in the employment rules (but below). In 3,5 years, I never completed the annual appraisal process, even though our employment rules say this is the only context in…
Woman, 25-29 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 4-6 years
I worked in a Parliamentary Forum on Sexual health. Most employees were bullied by the director, who had all the power in the organization. I witnessed him yell at colleagues, and humiliate some of them. Some of the MPs from the network were also harassing the staff, either morally or…
Woman, 30-34 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 4-6 years
In 2015, I was hired by an umbrella NGO in Brussels that works towards the human rights and inclusion of a specific vulnerable group (4/5 time). My net monthly salary was around EUR 1300; thus I definitely struggled to make ends meet after I paid my rent. On the top,…
Woman, 30-34 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 4-6 years
I am currently on sick leave following a burnout and harassment case by one on the colleagues I am line managing. The reasons for this burn out is that I have been working 2 jobs for almost 3 years, joggling this amount of work and pressure with à young disabled…
Woman, 35-39 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 1-3 years
I was promised my manager would “look into” non statutory benefits such as public transport reimbursement, lunch vouchers etc. One year later and this has still not happened despite me asking. Over hours are the norm. I’m expected to keep working and be available even if I’ve finished my part…
Woman, 25-29 years old. Working in the Brussels NGO sector for 1-3 years
Why we do this?
Everybody has a right to decent and fair working conditions. This is the core idea behind our group.
Professionals, activists, volunteers, old and new comers from different Brussels-based NGO, we discuss labour rights and how to improve working conditions. From practical issues such as language to more general considerations about labour in the XXI Century, we want to raise awareness in a field of work that is barely organised. We don’t think it’s ambitious. We believe it’s necessary.