Joint committee 329.02 is the joint subcommittee for the socio-cultural sector of the French and German-speaking Communities and the Walloon Region. It covers associations in Wallonia, French-speaking Brussels and East Belgium: integration centres, socio-professional integration, childcare and training. On 1 August 2026 all wages rose by 2%. A bachelor's graduate in a Walloon association now starts on at least € 3,029.24 gross a month. What else you pay depends on who recognises your organisation.
This guide covers what the committee regulates: who falls under it, which pay scales apply, indexation, bonuses, leave and funds. The amounts by year of seniority are on the pay scale pages we link to for each subsector.
Who falls under joint committee 329.02?
JC 329 is the committee for the socio-cultural sector. The royal decree of 21 September 2004 split it into subcommittees by community. JC 329.02 covers associations that receive their recognition or subsidy from the French Community, the German-speaking Community, the Walloon Region or the French Community Commission (Cocof) in Brussels. Flemish organisations fall under JC 329.01, federal ones under JC 329.03.
In the NSSO return you recognise the committee by an employer category starting with 362 / 762. The subcommittee's CLAs name these organisations, among others:
| Type of organisation | Recognised by | Subsector in the minimum wage database |
|---|---|---|
| Socio-cultural associations, after-school care (ONE) | French Community | 329.02.10 |
| Regional integration centres (CRI), local integration initiatives (ILI), socio-professional integration centres (CISP), MIRE, SeTIS, PMTIC, Rainbow Houses, adapted centres (AViQ) | Walloon Region | 329.02.20 |
| Socio-professional integration organisations (ISP) in Brussels | Cocof | 329.02.30 |
| Socio-cultural associations in East Belgium | German-speaking Community | 329.02.40 |
The JC 329 subcommittees do not cover every non-profit. An organisation providing care or welfare often falls under joint committee 330 or a welfare committee. If no specific committee fits, a non-profit falls under the safety net, supplementary joint committee 337. On 15 July 2026 a notice in the Belgian Official Gazette announced a change to the scope of JC 329, adapting the definition of the non-profit sector. If in doubt, read how to find your joint committee in Belgium and what a joint committee actually regulates.
Pay scales in joint committee 329.02 by subsector
Each subsector has its own pay scales, always for a full-time employee working 38 hours a week. The pay scales are minimum wages: you can always pay more. Starting wages after the August 2026 indexation:
| Level | French Community (rank) | Walloon Region (level) | Cocof Brussels (step) | German-speaking Community (scale) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | € 2,249.53 | € 2,496.78 | € 2,256.30 | € 2,061.78 |
| 3 | € 2,786.72 | € 2,823.11 | € 2,795.18 | € 2,073.24 |
| 4.1 | € 3,020.11 | € 3,029.24 | € 3,029.26 | € 2,246.81 |
| 4.2 | € 3,563.51 | € 3,574.29 | € 3,574.29 | € 2,651.11 |
Wages rise substantially with seniority. An employee at rank 3 in the French Community earns € 3,274.34 after five years, a coordinator at level 4.2 in the Walloon Region € 4,351.78 after ten years. The full tables by year are on the pay scale pages: French Community, Walloon Region, Cocof Brussels and German-speaking Community.
Three rules decide the grading:
- The degree sets the floor in Wallonia. Under CLA 178042/CO/329.02, in force since 1 January 2023, someone with a bachelor's degree directly related to the job is paid at least at level 4.1. With a master's degree in a level 4 job linked to the social purpose, it is level 4.2.
- The French Community follows the Walloon scales. Since 1 April 2025, the French Community pay scales are 99.70% of the Walloon reference scales (CLA 194234/CO/329.02). The two tables are therefore close.
- The legal minimum comes first. In the German-speaking Community the lowest scales are below the guaranteed average minimum monthly income of € 2,233.61 in the first years. Never pay less than that minimum. More in our guide on the minimum wage in Belgium in 2026 and in the news on the GGMMI in 2026.
Indexation in joint committee 329.02 in 2026
Wages in JC 329.02 follow the pivot index, under a JC 329 CLA of 20 March 1997. Each time the pivot index is exceeded, minimum and actual wages rise by 2%. That makes the sector sensitive to inflation: there have already been two increases in 2026.
| Indexation | Increase |
|---|---|
| 1 August 2026 | 2% |
| 1 February 2026 | 2% |
| 1 March 2025 | 2% |
| 1 June 2024 | 2% |
The next step. The pivot index of 100.28 was exceeded in June 2026. The next one is at 102.29. In September the smoothed health index stood at 101.20. On 6 October 2026 the Federal Planning Bureau expected the smoothed index to reach 102.35 in November. If it does, the next increase will probably follow on 1 January 2027. That is a forecast, not an established fact.
The cents index. Since 1 June 2026, the part of a full-time reference wage above € 4,000 gross a month is not fully indexed until a 2% wage moderation has taken place. In JC 329.02 this mainly affects coordinators and managers with long seniority. How it works is explained in our piece on the cents index and in the overview of wage indexation in 2026.
Year-end bonus in joint committee 329.02
JC 329.02 has no year-end bonus that is the same for the whole sector. Each subsector and type of recognition has its own CLA, often linked to an agreement with the subsidising authority. The CLAs we found: Each scheme is set out, with a worked example, in our guide to the end-of-year bonus JC 329.02.
| Who | CLA | Structure of the bonus | Reference period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocof ISP organisations in Brussels | 157747/CO/329.02, amended by 177581/CO/329.02 | € 210.40 not indexed, plus € 388.75 and € 340 indexed (2019 base), plus 30% of the October base salary | 1 January to 30 September, 9 months |
| CRI, CISP and MIRE in Wallonia | 154713/CO/329.02 | additional amounts of € 106.29 and € 368.79 (pivot index 105.10, 2013 base), indexed with wages | at least 3 months' service |
| ILI, SeTIS, PMTIC and Rainbow Houses | 154791/CO/329.02 | additional amount of € 368.79 (2013 base), indexed | as set in the CLA |
| Adapted centres recognised by the AViQ | 154769/CO/329.02 | flat-rate part plus 2.50% of the gross annual pay for October | 1 January to 30 September |
Two rules from the Walloon CLAs come up often. An employee who worked fewer than 3 months for the same employer in the reference period has no right to the additional amounts. And on top of the usual equivalent periods, 90 more calendar days a year can be treated as worked, but not for suspensions requested by the employee, such as time credit or parental leave.
Exceptional bonuses at the Cocof. For 2025, employees of Brussels ISP organisations received an exceptional top-up of € 1,600 gross for a full-time employee over the whole reference period, under CLA 197811/CO/329.02 of 29 January 2026. For 2024 there was an exceptional bonus of € 1,912.58. Such amounts depend on what the Cocof releases each year.
From the bonus you withhold the personal NSSO contribution of 13.07%, then withholding tax under the scale for exceptional payments. The gross-to-net calculation is in our guide on calculating the year-end bonus. The rules of the Flemish counterpart are in the end-of-year bonus JC 329.01, the other committees in our overview of the year-end bonus 2026.
Worked example: the year-end bonus in a Brussels ISP organisation
This is an example, not a calculation for your situation. A full-time support worker at step 3 without seniority earns € 2,795.18 gross a month in October. He worked the whole reference period.
- Variable part: 30% of € 2,795.18 = € 838.55.
- Fixed non-indexed part: € 210.40. Together: € 1,048.95.
- Add the two indexed flat amounts of € 388.75 and € 340, adjusted every year by the October smoothed health index compared with the previous year. You calculate their 2026 value with the October 2026 index.
A colleague on the same wage who started on 1 April worked six of the 9 months. He receives six ninths: for the first two parts € 1,048.95 x 6/9 = € 699.30, plus six ninths of the indexed flat amounts.
Leave and working time in joint committee 329.02
On top of statutory holidays, several sectors give extra days. Here too, the entitlement follows the recognition:
| Sector | Extra leave | CLA |
|---|---|---|
| Walloon CRI, CFP, MIRE, EFT and OISP | 2 days, with at least 24 days of leave in the association | 83824/CO/329.02 and later CLAs |
| Cocof ISP organisations | 4 days a year | JC 329 CLA of 2002 |
| ONE after-school care projects | 4 days, plus 1 day since 2021 and another 1 day from age 45 | 174452/CO/329.02 |
Shorter week from 60. In a range of Walloon non-profit sectors, a full-time employee from age 60 works 34 hours a week on the same pay, and the employer hires someone to compensate. Check whether your recognition is covered before you schedule an employee aged 59.
The statutory rules on holidays and other leave are in our guide on the types of leave.
Transport and business travel in joint committee 329.02
The subcommittee has its own commuting rules. If an employee comes by his own motorised transport, you pay 60% of the price of a second-class monthly train ticket for the same distance, from 3. If he lives abroad, only the first 150 count. By bicycle you may pay € 0.37 per kilometre free of NSSO and tax. More on both in commuting allowance and the bicycle allowance.
For business travel with a private car, the sector follows the federal government rate. From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 it is € 0.48 per kilometre on an annual basis (CLA 184526/CO/329.02). For a moped, e-bike or other motorised personal transport device, the allowance was € 0.20 per kilometre at the end of 2023, adjusted every 1 July. How these amounts change is in our guide on the mileage allowance 2027.
Social fund and contributions in joint committee 329.02
On top of the ordinary NSSO contributions, you pay small sector contributions to the JC 329 social fund through the NSSO:
| Contribution | Percentage of gross wages | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Risk groups | 0.10% | 2025 up to and including 2028 |
| Additional training contribution | 0.10% | 2025 up to and including 2028 |
| Outplacement, first and second quarter | 0.03% | 2026 and 2027 |
| Outplacement, third and fourth quarter | 0.02% | 2026 and 2027 |
The fund pays for training and support for risk groups. On the obligation to offer outplacement, read our piece on mandatory outplacement.
Wellbeing bonus 2026 in Wallonia. For ILI and Rainbow Houses, CLA 202262/CO/329.02 provides a budget for wellbeing measures, which can also be paid as a one-off bonus to employees in service on 31 December 2026. The amount per employer follows from a ministerial decree.
Flexi-jobs in joint committee 329.02
Since 1 July 2026 flexi-jobs have in principle been open in almost all sectors, including the socio-cultural sector. You then pay a 28% special contribution on the flexi-wage. A flexi-job worker must work at least four-fifths elsewhere or be retired. The conditions are in flexi-jobs in all sectors and in our guide on the flexi-job rules in 2026.
Pitfalls in joint committee 329.02
- The wrong subsector. An association recognised by the Walloon Region follows the Walloon levels, not the French Community ranks. An organisation with several recognitions looks at each activity.
- Forgetting the degree. In Wallonia a bachelor's or master's degree related to the job sets the minimum level.
- Missing an indexation. In 2026 wages rose twice by 2%, and actual wages above the scale must follow.
- Paying a scale below the GGMMI. Especially in the German-speaking Community the lowest scales are below it.
- The wrong year-end bonus. The Cocof formula does not apply to a Walloon integration centre, and vice versa.
- Not granting the sector's extra leave. It is not in the law but in your sector's CLA.
- Not paying for commuting by car. The sector requires a 60% contribution.
Checklist for an employer in joint committee 329.02
- Determine which authority recognises or subsidises your activity: that sets the subsector.
- Grade each employee at the right level, with degree and seniority.
- Adjust wages at every indexation, including those above the scale.
- Find the year-end bonus CLA that matches your recognition and note the reference period.
- Grant the sector's extra leave and put it in the work rules.
- Pay the commuting contribution and the mileage allowance for business travel.
- Check the sector contributions on your quarterly NSSO statement.
What Business Centrum does for you
Business Centrum handles the payroll administration of associations in the socio-cultural sector, together with Acerta. We work out with you which subsector and which CLAs match your recognition, apply indexation and calculate the year-end bonus under your sector's CLA. If you are a non-profit, read how we provide payroll for non-profits.