Belgium’s ‘Accordeon Week’ Plan Divides Coalition and Unions

The Belgian federal government is locked in a tense debate over a proposal to introduce the so-called ‘accordeon week’ — a system of annualized working hours that would allow employees to work longer weeks during peak periods and shorter ones during quieter times, as long as the annual average remains constant. The plan, championed by Minister of Work David Clarinval (MR), has exposed deep divisions within the five-party ‘Arizona’ coalition and sparked fierce opposition from trade unions, who warn it could erode overtime pay and weaken worker protections.

What Is the ‘Accordeon Week’?

The proposal, as reported by VRT NWS, would allow working hours to be distributed flexibly across the entire year rather than on a strict weekly basis. Earlier versions of the plan mentioned potential weekly limits of 50 or 60 hours, though the exact cap is still under negotiation. The system is designed to benefit seasonal sectors like tourism and horticulture, where employers could offer permanent contracts with stable monthly pay instead of fixed-term seasonal agreements.

Minister Clarinval has framed the reform as a tool for better work-life balance. “This reform allows you to adapt your work rhythm to your personal life and your family, whether it’s to care for a child, a parent, or another family member,” he told VRT NWS.

Union Opposition: A Threat to Overtime Pay

Belgium’s major trade unions have pushed back sharply. The socialist ABVV and the Christian ACV both argue that the accordeon system would effectively eliminate overtime premiums — the higher pay rate workers receive for hours beyond the standard weekly threshold.

Ann Vermorgen of the ACV warned: “In peak periods that you later ‘compensate’ with quieter weeks, overtime that would normally be paid extra disappears. So you work unhealthily longer days or weeks without even any compensation.”

The ABVV has calculated the potential impact: a worker earning €20 per hour gross, with €30 per hour for overtime, could lose €600 gross over six months if overtime premiums are eliminated under the new system.

ABVV President Bert Engelaar also raised concerns about coercion, arguing that “employers will be able to impose this on their employees in practice,” despite assurances from the minister’s office that participation would be entirely voluntary and require a written individual agreement.

Employer Perspective: Flexibility Without Lost Protections

Employer organizations have pushed back against the unions’ characterization. Pieter Timmermans of the VBO (Federation of Belgian Enterprises) argued that the debate conflates two separate issues. “Overtime is performed on top of the normal schedule. What annualization does is something different: it shifts working time within the year,” he said. According to the VBO, genuine overtime — work performed beyond the annual average — would still be compensated with existing premiums.

Both the minister’s office and employer representatives emphasize that no worker can be forced into the system. Any participation would require a signed, voluntary individual agreement.

Coalition Tensions

The debate has exposed the fragility of Belgium’s ‘Arizona’ coalition, which spans from the right-wing N-VA to the socialist Vooruit. The coalition agreement explicitly provides for annualization of working time, but with a critical condition: it must be implemented “without loss of purchasing power.”

Vooruit, the socialist partner, argues the current proposal fails this test. “There is currently a difference between what is on the table and what is in the coalition agreement,” a party source told VRT NWS. Les Engagés initially raised objections but a compromise was reportedly found.

The parallel ethical debate over abortion and euthanasia, which saw CD&V clash with progressive parties, has further complicated the government’s ability to find consensus. Those discussions were “evacuated” with a deadline of 1 December.

Broader Reform Context

The accordeon week debate comes on the heels of a major labor law modernization package that took effect on 1 June 2026. As DLA Piper reported, those reforms included flexible work schedules, reduced minimum part-time hours, abolition of the night work prohibition, and increased voluntary overtime limits of up to 360 hours per year (240 tax-free).

The accordeon week proposal represents the next step in this reform agenda, but faces more political resistance because it directly affects how overtime compensation is calculated.

What’s Next

Vice-Premiers Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) and David Clarinval (MR) are now seeking a compromise that can satisfy the coalition agreement’s purchasing power condition. The outcome will likely depend on whether a technical solution can be found that preserves overtime premiums for hours worked beyond a certain threshold while allowing the flexibility that seasonal sectors and employers seek.

Belgium is not alone in reconsidering working time regulations. Similar debates are unfolding across Europe, with Germany preparing a shift from daily to weekly working time limits, and other countries exploring flexible working arrangements.

For now, the ‘accordeon week’ remains a proposal under negotiation — and a critical test of whether Belgium’s ideologically diverse coalition can hold together on one of the most consequential labor policy debates in years.