Trade unions also agree to new collective agreement

The four employees’ organisations accepted the new collective labour agreement for universities. The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) published the news on its website last Friday.

A negotiation agreement dating from December was accepted by the universities last week. Now that the employees’ organisations have done the same, the arrangements contained in the new collective labour agreement can be finalised. Discussions about the final text will take place in the near future.

Pay rise

Among other things, the new collective agreement means that there will be a 3% pay rise. There will also be a once-only bonus of 350 euros. Furthermore, new arrangements have been reached regarding temporary contracts, a subject that had previously caused negotiations to stall. Although universities will reduce the number of temporary contracts (terms of less than four years) to 22%, this will only apply to professors, senior university lecturers, university lecturers and other instructors. Half of all lecturers and 30% of university lecturers are currently employed on a temporary contract. At 4% and 6% respectively, the corresponding percentages for senior university lecturers and professors are much lower. 23.8% of academic staff hold temporary appointments. TF