Minister Valérie Glatigny denies cuts to Belgian teacher pay scales following September payroll changes

Discrepancies on September payslips

Teachers across the Wallonia-Brussels Federation reported unexpected reductions in their gross annual salary base on their September payslips, received on Friday 25 September 2026. Multiple educators contacted public broadcaster RTBF and posted across social networks to report a lower base salary scale compared to previous months. One teacher provided payroll documents demonstrating that their annual gross base scale fell from 27,285.62 euros under an index of 2.1647 in August to 27,185.38 euros under an index of 2.2080 in September. The adjustment represented a decrease of roughly 100 euros in the annual base reference figure. Teachers asked whether reducing gross base scales was legally permissible, while expressing concerns about the consequences for career seniority, future pension calculations, and personal income tax brackets.

Government explanation of the calculation method

Education Minister Valérie Glatigny denied on Saturday evening that statutory salary scales had been downgraded or modified. Her office explained that the public administration created an artificial reference scale to apply the federal government's modulated indexation rules, which capped indexation on monthly gross salaries above 4,000 euros. Officials stated that overall net pay increases under the indexation process and that the bookkeeping mechanism has no negative effect on teacher pensions or seniority.

The administration introduced a fictitious scale in order to be able to take into account the non-indexation in the calculation of the remuneration. This has no impact on the seniority or on the pension of the teacher.

Glatigny's office stated that the calculation method matches the system used in the Flemish and German-speaking educational networks, as well as the federal and regional civil services. The government of the French Community formally approved the implementation method on 17 July 2026. Trade unions were informed of the calculation rules on 20 August 2026 during a meeting of Committee A, the public sector negotiating body.

All teachers, for an equal situation, will see their salary increase with indexation, including in the cases concerned by the modulated indexation decided by the federal government.

Political scrutiny and union strike calls

Opposition political parties reacted to the payslip notices on Saturday afternoon, with both the Socialist Party and Ecolo calling on the education minister to explain the administrative procedure. Ecolo lawmaker Bénédicte Linard stated that altering salary scales normally requires a formal legal decision from the government and the minister, announcing that she would submit parliamentary questions to clarify the administration's actions.

Trade union branches and grassroots groups also announced actions across French-speaking Belgium. The Liège division of the CGSP Enseignement union termed the calculation method an unlawful procedure, instructing its legal team to analyze the measure while calling on teachers to protest on the minister's social media accounts. In addition, the education collective Mars Attacks argued that the reduction in gross base pay could result in higher tax liabilities, issuing a call for an educator work stoppage on Monday 28 September 2026.