Joint Committee 118 and 119: obligations for supermarkets

CP 118 and CP 119: two joint committees for one sector

The food retail sector in Belgium is covered by two distinct joint committees. CP 118 (joint committee for the food trade) covers companies in the food trade broadly: supermarkets, hypermarkets, and food wholesalers. CP 119 (joint committee for the retail food trade) covers small and medium-sized retail food businesses.

The distinction is primarily based on company size and activity type. Major chains such as Colruyt, Delhaize, Carrefour, and Aldi generally fall under CP 118. Neighbourhood grocers, independent butchers, and small specialised food retailers fall more typically under CP 119.

In practice, the joint committee you fall under is determined by your company's main activity. If your business combines several activities (food sales, integrated bakery, catering), the dominant activity by turnover determines the applicable committee.

Which supermarkets fall under which committee?

The split between CP 118 and CP 119 is not always obvious. Here are the main criteria.

CP 118: food trade

CP 118 applies to companies whose main activity is trading in foodstuffs, whether wholesale or retail. This includes:

• Supermarkets and hypermarkets (Colruyt, Delhaize, Carrefour, Aldi, Lidl, Intermarché)
• Food wholesalers and distribution centres
• Food cash & carry businesses
• Food logistics companies attached to a retail chain

CP 119: retail food trade

CP 119 covers small retail food businesses:

• Independent grocery stores and convenience shops
• Independent butchers, delicatessens, and fishmongers
• Greengrocers and fruit and vegetable traders
• Independent organic food shops

If you are a franchisee of a major chain, it is the actual activity of your point of sale that counts, not that of the parent company. A Carrefour Express franchisee may fall under a different committee from a Carrefour hypermarket.

Wage scales and indexation

The wage scales for CP 118 and CP 119 are set by sectoral collective labour agreements. They define the minimum wage by job category and seniority. Every employer must comply with these scales as a minimum, under penalty of social inspection sanctions.

CP 118 wage scale structure

Workers are classified into job categories, from category 1 (unskilled roles: cashier, shelf stacker) to category 6 (management). Each category has seniority steps: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. The minimum wage increases at each step.

Wage scales are regularly indexed to the Belgian pivot index. When the pivot index is exceeded, wages are automatically increased by 2%. In 2024 and 2025, several successive breaches significantly raised the scales.

Beyond the base salary, CP 118 provides sectoral benefits: a year-end bonus, meal vouchers whose value varies by company agreement, and eco-vouchers. These must be factored into your total salary cost per employee.

CP 119 wage scale structure

CP 119 works on a similar system with job categories and seniority steps. Scales are generally slightly lower than CP 118, reflecting the smaller size of the companies concerned.

Sectoral benefits under CP 119 are also lower than those of CP 118. The year-end bonus and meal voucher conditions are negotiated separately in each committee. For the same cashier position, the total cost difference between CP 118 and CP 119 can reach 5 to 10% annually.

Automatic indexation

Indexation is identical in both committees: it follows the Belgian legal mechanism based on the smoothed health index. Each time the pivot index is exceeded, an automatic 2% increase is triggered for all sector wages. These increases are unpredictable in timing and can occur several times a year during high-inflation periods.

Your scheduling software must be able to integrate these updates so that displayed salary costs remain reliable. A tool showing costs based on outdated scales gives you a false picture of your payroll.

Working time regulations in supermarkets

Working time rules under CP 118 and CP 119 go beyond the general legal framework. The food sector benefits from specific exemptions but also faces additional constraints.

Working hours

The legal weekly working time in Belgium is 38 hours. Under CP 118, exemptions allow up to 9 hours per day and 45 hours per week, provided the 38-hour average is maintained over a reference period (generally a quarter or a year depending on the company agreement).

Part-time workers must observe a minimum of 3 hours per shift and one-third of full-time hours on average per week. For a full-time schedule of 38 hours, this means a minimum of 12 hours 40 minutes per week.

Breaks and rest periods

Any shift of more than 6 consecutive hours entitles the worker to a break of at least 15 minutes. In practice most supermarkets grant 30 minutes for a full working day. The rest period between two shifts is a minimum of 11 consecutive hours.

Flexibility and minor flexibility

CP 118 provides for a "minor flexibility" scheme that allows weekly working time to vary between 2 hours less and 5 hours more than the contractual duration, provided the average is maintained over the reference period. This is valuable for supermarkets that need to adapt staffing to peak footfall without systematically resorting to overtime.

To apply minor flexibility, the work rules must list the possible alternative schedules and the conditions under which they can be activated. The notice period for changing a schedule is generally seven days.

Overtime

Overtime beyond 9 hours per day or the agreed weekly limit carries a 50% premium on weekdays and 100% on Sundays and public holidays. It must be compensated within the applicable reference period. Non-compliance exposes the employer to salary catch-up payments and administrative fines.

Sunday and public holiday premiums

The food sector benefits from a legal exemption allowing Sunday work. Supermarkets may open on Sundays, but this authorisation comes with strict remuneration obligations.

Sunday premium under CP 118

Sunday work in the food trade entitles the worker to a premium of 100% of the normal hourly wage, on top of the base salary. A cashier paid 14 euros per hour therefore costs 28 euros on Sundays. The worker is also entitled to compensatory rest within the following six days.

Public holidays

Belgium has 10 legal public holidays per year. Workers who work on a public holiday receive a 100% supplement (salary doubled). If the public holiday falls on a Sunday or a usual rest day, it must be moved to the next working day.

Impact on scheduling

These premiums have a direct impact on the payroll. A poorly designed Sunday schedule can cause costs to spiral. That is why Shyfter's scheduling module shows the real cost of each shift, premiums included, before publication.

Night work in food retail

Night work (between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.) is in principle prohibited in retail trade. However, exemptions exist for certain logistical and restocking activities.

Authorisation conditions

Night work may be authorised for shelf-stacking before the store opens, early morning goods reception, and cleaning operations. These exemptions are negotiated at company or sector level and must be recorded in the work rules.

Night premiums

Night shifts entitle the worker to an additional premium set by the sectoral collective agreement. Under CP 118, this premium varies by company agreement but generally represents a supplement of 10% to 25% of the base hourly wage.

Protection for night workers

Night workers benefit from enhanced protections: increased medical monitoring, the right to request a transfer to a day position, and a limit on consecutive nights worked. The schedule must reflect these constraints to remain compliant.

E-commerce and drive-through cases

With the growth of click & collect and home delivery, more supermarkets have teams preparing orders early in the morning or late in the evening. These activities may fall within night work rules if they start before 6 a.m. or continue after 8 p.m. The exact classification depends on the work rules and sectoral agreements in force.

How Shyfter integrates CP 118 and CP 119 rules

Managing all these rules manually — wage scales, premiums, mandatory rest, time limits — is the surest way to make errors. Shyfter integrates the legal constraints of CP 118 and CP 119 directly into the scheduling engine.

Real-time compliance alerts

When you create a shift that breaches a rule of the applicable joint committee (working time exceeded, insufficient rest, missing premium), Shyfter displays an alert before the schedule is published. You correct it before the problem exists.

Automatic premium calculation

Sunday, public holiday, and night work premiums are calculated automatically based on the configured joint committee. The real cost of each shift appears in the schedule, not just the base salary.

Managing different contract types

Full-time, part-time, flexible workers, student workers, casual staff: each contract type has its own rules under CP 118 and 119. Shyfter applies the correct constraints to each profile without you having to check them manually.

Automated employment declarations

For flexible workers and students, the Dimona employment declaration is mandatory before each shift. Shyfter sends it automatically as soon as the shift is confirmed, via the integrated Dimona module.

Export to your payroll provider

All scheduling and time-tracking data — hours worked, premiums, overtime — export in one click to your payroll provider. SD Worx, Securex, Acerta, Liantis: more than 50 connectors are available via Shyfter integrations.

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FAQ

How do I know whether my supermarket falls under CP 118 or CP 119?

The committee depends on your company's main activity. Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and food wholesalers fall under CP 118. Small retail food businesses (independent grocers, butchers, greengrocers) fall under CP 119. If in doubt, check with your payroll provider or on the FPS Employment website.

Are CP 118 wage scales automatically indexed?

Yes. CP 118 wage scales follow the Belgian automatic indexation mechanism. Each time the pivot index is exceeded, a 2% increase is triggered for all sector wages. These increases are applied automatically and retroactively from the date of the breach.

What are the penalties for non-compliance with CP 118 rules?

Breaches of CP 118 collective agreements can result in penalties ranging from administrative fines (up to 4,000 euros per worker concerned) to criminal prosecution in the most serious cases. The social inspectorate checks compliance with wage scales, rest periods, and Dimona declaration obligations. A reliable time-tracking system and a compliant schedule are your best protection.