Nurses consider deal on working time

Trade unions have resisted employer demands for longer working hours in recent negotiations over a new working time package that also allows for part time workers to get paid for extra working hours. Unions believe that this will not only improve the possibility of part-time workers, the vast majority of whom are women, to work longer hours but also will reduce the likelihood that employers will try to replace full-time workers with part timers. There are a number of other provisions in the agreement including greater flexibility over overtime and other arrangements that can be agreed at more

(October2016) Municipal union Kommunal has negoitated a three-year collective agreement with KFO, the organisation that represents cooperative and non-profit organisations. The deal includes a SEK 500 (EUR 51) increase for all full-time workers in the first year then increases that match the going rate in industry.. But in order to address the lower pay faced by undervalued jobs predominantly done by women, the agreement includes additional increases for nursing assistants in each of the three years.

The 225,000 workers covered by the nursing and care homes collective agreement negotiated by the ABVAKABO public service union will get a 1.5% pay increase backdated to 1 January 2006. The agreement runs from 1 January 2006 to 1 January 2007 and includes a 0.5% lump sum payment as well. This lump will be converted into an employer contribution to the “levensloop” arrangement which allows employees to save up working time to be taken at a later date and was introduced to compensate for removal of early retirement rights. Inflation in the Netherlands is currently 1.1%. [Read more at > ABVAKABO