The big autumn wage round began on 22 October. This time it is the trade and railway employees who are starting. The negotiations promise to be tough again this year. On the one hand there is the weak economy, on the other a falling inflation rate, but still at a high level. This year, the autumn wage round did not start with the metal industry as usual. Last year, the metalworkers had concluded a collective agreement for two years. The one for 2025 applies from 1 November - and brings up to 4.8% wage increase. For the other sectors, the controversial question will be: How close to or above inflation? The inflation rate was 1.8% in September (compared to 6.0% in September 2023 and 10.5% a year earlier). However, what is usually relevant for the negotiations is rolling inflation, the average of the last twelve months. It was 3.8% between October 2023 and September 2024. The metalworkers' settlement thus corresponds to rolling inflation plus 1%.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.