Netherlands
After a long-running dispute, around 1,900 workers are now covered by a new collective agreement running from 1 January 2005 to 1 April 2007. A lump sum payment worth 1.5% of annual pay was awarded for 2005 and the 2006 pay increase will be 1.5% with a further rise of 0.25%. There will be further talks over achieving a more flexible and balanced rostering of workers.
Read more at > ABVAKABO
Friday 13 June will be the first one-day strike in a possible series of stoppages by over 400 staff working for the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI). The members of the Prospect and PCS unions voted overwhelmingly for action in response to the employer's latest pay offer. There has been an almost one-year delay before the NMSI offered 1.5% plus performance-related pay increases for 2008 and only performance-related increases for 2009. The unions point out that 1.5% is even below the government's 2% guideline that public sector unions have already rejected as inadequate. [Read
The PCS civil service union has warned of problems in recruitment if the government fails to increase the lowest rates of pay in museum service with some workers on just 20p (28 euro cents) per hour more than the minimum wage of £5.05 (7 euros 10 cents) per hour. Read more at > PCS
Workers at museums across the country took strike action on 30 May as part of the three-month campaign of industrial action organised by the PCS civil service union. The union is protesting against the government's refusal to negotiate on pay and jobs and it began its campaign with a national civil service strike on 20 March. A further day of national action could be called in June if the government makes no moves to negotiate. Read more at > PCS
