Local and provincial government dispute continues

Unions and employers look to have resolved the conflict over pay in the provincial government sector after more than a year of negotiations and campaigning. The agreement runs from 1 June 2009 to 1 June 2011 and includes pay increases of 1.2% backdated to 1 January 2010 and a lump sum worth 0.5% of salary paid on 1 June to compensate for no pay increase during the last six months of 2009. There will be another rise of 0.7% on 1 January 2011. The agreement also includes provisions on training and employment of disabled workers. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws

Unions continue to try to win real pay increases for their members working for municipal and provincial government through a campaign that has seen a series of short stoppages organised at different authorities around the country. Recently it was the turn of provincial government workers in Drenthe, local government workers in Purmerend and both local and provincial government workers in Maastricht. [Read more at > FNV-Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/Helft-ambtenaren-Purmerend-voert-actie] [And at > FNV-Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws

There are a number of key issues that are the focus of collective bargaining in both provincial and municipal government – purchasing power, employment, violence at work, career development and employment policies that take account of personal circumstances – such as parental leave, telework etc. Negotiations with provincial employers have made progress on the last two while working groups have been set up in the municipal negotiations to discuss these issues. The issue of pay is likely to be the toughest to negotiate with employers claiming that they have little room to manoeuvre as a result