For the upcoming collective bargaining round, concerning the renewal of about 200 of all 700 collective agreements, the main three employers’ associations have planned a tough stand on a number of issues. According to confidential recommendations of the VNO-NCW employers’ organisation to its members, supported by AWVN and MKB, they want minimal wage increases, and if any, these should not count for building pension rights: a major breach with existing practice. The employers also want larger possibilities for flexible staffing and wage hikes adapted to economic conditions, with for example hikes only payable at the end of the agreed period depending on company performance. Both the largest union confederation, FNV, and the MHP union confederation have reacted negatively, arguing that the employers’ position will undermine purchasing power and will only aggravate the economic crisis.
Dutch: De Volkskrant, 28 and 29 December 2011; NRC-Handelsblad, 28 December 2011
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 or the communications officer of the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2011.