In a message to members, Rick Pellis, director of CNV Vakmensen, warns that employers say that if they do not agree before 25 October, there will soon be no more pay rises at all. Employers indicate that after this period the NEA index will no longer be achieved and that there will then be no money for a wage increase. The trade union sees the fact that employers are putting pressure on employees to agree in this way as a strong threat. 

If there is no collective agreement in the short term, the national average of the wage increases over the past 12 months will be used for the NEA index. It is now about 4.4%. Nevertheless, it is important for employers that there is an agreement so that the NEA index can take the wage increase into account. In the meantime, we received the news that there is 2 weeks longer before the NEA index is determined, because there is no new collective labor agreement yet. “The pressure that employers are now exerting is therefore incomprehensible and not necessary at all,” says Pellis.

If there is no agreement, the employers can no longer fully pass on the upcoming wage increase to the clients, so that they have to pay part of it themselves. According to CNV, employers are not willing to pay even one euro in wage costs for the employees. In fact, with the current final offer, the new collective labor agreement only generates money for the employers. Because they want to go back to the previous break scheme, many employers will soon be able to give longer unpaid breaks, which will be a thorn in the side for many employees.

Apart from the wage increase, there are of course more points that were not discussed by employers, but are very important for employees in the sector. According to the unions, employers are unfortunately not yet prepared to come to good agreements that will improve working conditions in the sector. To give employers another chance to come back to the negotiating table with a decent offer, they are organizing a petition action in Ede as a warning.