Why the minimum wage is mandatory
In Belgium the minimum wage is not set by law but by collective agreements: the pay scales of the joint committee and, as a floor for all sectors, the guaranteed average minimum monthly income (GGMMI) from collective agreement no. 43 of the National Labour Council. An individual contract may not go below the sector pay scale, only above it. Since 1 July 2026, the GGMMI has been € 2,233.61 a month for a full-time employee; a part-time employee gets it pro rata (collective agreement no. 35).
Exceptions
The GGMMI of collective agreement no. 43 does not apply to employees under 18, nor to students aged 18 to 20 with a student contract: for them, collective agreement no. 50 or the sector's youth pay scale applies. It also does not apply in a family business with only relatives, nor to anyone who usually works less than a calendar month. The GGMMI is an average: bonuses such as an end-of-year bonus count towards it.
What is the risk?
Paying too little is a level 3 offence under Article 162 of the Social Criminal Code: an administrative fine of € 1,000 to € 10,000, per employee concerned. The arrears remain due, with statutory interest from the day they became payable.
What to do
Look up the joint committee for each job and compare gross pay with the pay scale on minimumlonen.be. At every indexation, check that pay is still above the pay scale and the GGMMI.
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Sources
Every amount and deadline on this page was checked against these official sources, last consulted on .
- FOD WASO, Bedragen van de administratieve geldboeten
- FOD WASO, Loon (minimumloon en GGMMI)
- Justel, Sociaal Strafwetboek (wet van 6 juni 2010)
- Justel, wet van 12 april 1965 betreffende de bescherming van het loon der werknemers
- Nationale Arbeidsraad, gecoordineerde cao nr. 43 van 2 mei 1988 (GGMMI)
- Nationale Arbeidsraad, Tabellen cao-bedragen bijgewerkt op 01.07.2026 (cao nr. 43/18 van 24 maart 2026, GGMMI 18 jaar en ouder)