University staff should receive a 7 per cent pay rise, say unions

Trade unions AOb and FNV demand that salaries at universities increase by 7 per cent from 1 July and that future wages are corrected for inflation. Universities deem this wage demand ‘unrealistic’ due to the budget cuts.

The current university collective agreement (CAO) expires at the end of June. Consequently, negotiations for new employment terms commenced on 6 March. This month, the unions made their demands known. In addition to higher salaries, they also seek automatic inflation adjustments. If prices rise, wages should increase correspondingly, according to their proposal.

Budget cuts and layoffs

The unions also advocate for a better arrangement for those who are laid off. The conditions have worsened significantly in recent years, especially at a time when universities are undergoing ‘major reorganisations and more are expected’.

The financial position of universities is under pressure, due to declining student numbers and budget cuts. At the University of Twente, reorganisations and layoffs have already been announced, and other universities are also feeling the squeeze.

This makes a salary increase of 7 per cent ‘unrealistic’, says the university association UNL, which is in negotiations with the unions as the employer. The government determines each year how much additional funding universities receive for wage increases, but UNL states it is still unknown how much ‘room for pay’ there is this year. The unions do not have access to this information.

Not the solution

According to the unions, however, budget cuts are not a reason to moderate their wage demands. They argue that the problems facing universities are not caused by higher salaries, and thus do not have a solution in reducing those salaries.

“People have endured years of significant inflation and everything keeps getting more expensive”, says Sam Verduijn, a director at FNV Overheid. “We have managed to achieve the preservation of purchasing power with much effort, and now we want to strive for an improvement in purchasing power as well.”

The unions further want to see a reduction in work pressure at the universities. According to the Labour Inspectorate, it has been excessively high for many years. This year, the Inspectorate will again investigate whether universities have improved work pressure.

Working smarter

UNL is focusing on ‘smarter’ and ‘more efficient work’, the umbrella organisation writes in its proposal to the unions. It suggests that artificial intelligence could help alleviate the workload.

Another point from the unions’ demands: there is a significant chance that university staff will soon be able to repay their student loans in a tax-friendly manner. This is something the unions are advocating for, and it shouldn’t cost employers anything extra.