Public and state sector unions SSSH, NHS and Matica, have rejected the Government’s offer of a 1% increase in the wage base from September 2026, insisting on an 11% rise from January 2026. They argue that such an adjustment is necessary to preserve workers’ purchasing power and prevent further wage erosion in the face of high inflation and rising living costs. Union representatives stress that public service wages have grown more slowly than those in the private sector. For unions, the proposal of a 1% rise – after years of below-average increases – is not only insufficient but signals a lack of appreciation for workers in essential services.
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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.