Discretion and (de)centralization in wage bargaining in construction, hospitality, urban transport, waste management sectors: A study on the Netherlands

Abstract

This report is part of deliverable D4.1 of the BARWAGE project, in which aim to investigate the space for employer discretion afforded in collective agreements on pay in nine countries. This report analyses the social dialogue and collective wage bargaining in four sectors in the Netherlands: construction, hospitality, urban public transport, and urban waste management. Based on a combination of desk research, analysis of collective agreement texts and interviews with trade union and employers’ representatives, this report provides an overview of wage fixing processes and bargained pay structures in the four sectors. Particular attention is paid to discretionary space for employers within the scope of the collective agreements, and the impact of the rising statutory minimum wage and high inflation on the structure of the bargained pay systems.