Netherlands - Positive outcomes of dragging local government conflict - May 17, 2010

Under pressure of continuous strikes of the cleansing departments of main cities, the three unions involved – AbvaKabo FNV, CNV Publieke Zaak and CHMF — succeeded in negotiating a new two years’ basic collective agreement in local government, backdated from 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2011. Generally the agreement is regarded as a victory for the unions. The employers long stuck to a pay freeze, whereas the unions demanded a structural 3% increase for two years. For 2010, one-off payments of in total 1.5% have been agreed; the end-year payments of 2010 and 2011 will be lifted by 0.5%, with the minimal amount for the lowest pay scales increased from Euro 836 to Euro 1,750. In 2011, a structural increase of 0.5% has been agreed, whereas unions and employers will discuss later whether an additional structural increase of 1.0% can be added. Both the union membership and the municipalities are balloted. Unions are optimistic that their constituency will accept the agreement, but a spokeswoman of the organisation of Dutch municipalities (VNG) was less sure about the employers’ outcome (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 2 December 2009 and Year 3 January, February, March and April 2010).

Dutch: De Volkskrant, May 17, 2010; http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/PDF/3944/186363/Principe_akkoord_Cao_Gemeenten_2009-2011.pdf

This article was published in the Collective Bargaining Newsletter. It aims to facilitate information exchange between trade unions and to support the work of ETUC's collective bargaining committee. For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI atwww.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2009.