Wages worthy of civil society workers!

Sophia* has been working for human rights for seven years. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations.

Yet, she is paid only €2,300 gross per month – far below the Belgian national average.

This means, for example, that Sophia’s low wage would result in her receiving low unemployment benefits if she was made redundant because of the coronavirus.

Many of us face similar challenges to Sophia. There is no transparency around how our wages are decided. Our job titles change. Our responsibilities increase. But our wages stay the same. Is this legal? For now. Is this fair? No.

Our sector contributes to strengthening solidarity in society, defending human rights, providing services and building a better life for people in Europe and beyond, and it’s proving crucial in the current crisis.

Higher wages for staff would be beneficial for CSO employers too as productivity, staff wellbeing and morale would improve. This is why FairCSOs and Belgian trade unions are calling for a mandatory salary scale to cover everyone in the civil society sector (CP 329 and 337).

We want clear rules on how salaries are determined, so they truly match our skills, qualifications and experience. We want wage transparency and fairer wages for civil society workers!

 

Sign the petition to demand mandatory salary scales in our sector.