The new law regulates the duration of collective agreements at SNCB

The Law of October 27, 2026, amending the Law of July 23, 1926, regarding the SNCB and the personnel of the Belgian Railways, now regulates the validity period of collective agreements concluded within the National Joint Committee. Published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) No. 256 of November 10, 2026, p. 59897, under reference C − 2026/007801, it also opens the possibility of unilaterally terminating “Collective Agreement No. 0”. The text, which concerns the modernization of personnel management for the Belgian Railways (II), simply rewrites Article 77 of the 1926 law.

The House of Representatives adopted the text, examined under documents 56-1601 with a full report dated October 15, 2026. The law regulates a matter referred to in Article 74 of the Constitution; it was sanctioned by King Philippe in Brussels on October 27, 2026, countersigned by the Minister of Mobility J.-L. Crucke, and sealed by the Minister of Justice A. Verlinden.

The existing Article 77 had been inserted by the Royal Decree of December 11, 2013, and amended by the Law of May 25, 2026; it is entirely replaced by a provision consisting of six paragraphs.

Two-thirds majority and obligation to set a term

The new § 1 maintains the basic rule: collective agreements regulating individual and collective relations with contractual staff may be concluded within the National Joint Committee, by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

§ 2 specifies the scope of these agreements, which bind:

• Infrabel, the SNCB, and HR Rail;
• the contractual staff of HR Rail, whether or not they are made available to Infrabel or the SNCB;
• trade union organizations.

§ 3 imposes transparency regarding duration, under penalty of nullity:

• a fixed-term agreement must explicitly state its period of validity;
• an indefinite-term agreement, or a fixed-term agreement with a renewal clause, must explicitly state the terms and the notice period for termination;
• partial termination is only permitted if the agreement expressly provides for it.

Six months to negotiate, six months’ notice

§ 4 introduces the main novelty. In the absence of a new collective agreement concluded within the National Joint Committee within six months after the provision enters into force, “Collective Agreement No. 0"—concluded without a time limit—may be terminated, subject to a six-month notice period. Its partial termination is not possible.

Termination occurs in only two scenarios, both based on unanimity:

• at the initiative of the unanimity of the members of the National Joint Committee referred to in Article 116, a), b) and c) of the law;
• at the initiative of the unanimity of the members referred to under letters d) and e) of the same Article 116.

Individual contracts and register at HR Rail

§ 5 provides a guarantee to workers: the individual employment contract implicitly modified by a collective agreement remains unchanged when that agreement ceases to produce its effects, unless a contrary clause is included in the agreement itself.

§ 6 entrusts HR Rail with the documentary management of the system: collective agreements are numbered, registered with HR Rail, and made available by HR Rail to contractual staff members upon request.

Scope of the text

For contractual railway workers, the law closes the possibility of collective agreements without a term or exit clause: any agreement signed at the National Joint Committee must henceforth display either a validity period or the terms and notice period for termination, otherwise it shall be null and void. Above all, it provides a legal exit for “Collective Agreement No. 0”, concluded without a time limit: if no new agreement is found within six months, a unanimous termination — on the part of employers and trade union organizations within the meaning of Article 116 — will trigger a six-month notice period, with no possibility of partial exit. The law does not provide for a separate entry-into-force regime; the countdown of the six-month period therefore follows the entry into force of the provision.

Source: Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) no. 256 of November 10, 2026, p. 59897, reference C − 2026/007801 — law of October 27, 2026 amending the law of July 23, 1926 relating to the SNCB and the personnel of the Belgian Railways, regarding the modernization of the personnel management of the Belgian Railways (II).