Municipal negotiations still unresolved
A new collective agreement for the municipal sector has still not been signed as unions and employers fail to agree over one final element of the deal. The three trade unions in local government, ABVAKABO, CNV Publieke Zaak and CMHF, want increased compensation for ambulance workers and firefighters because of tax rules that hit their early retirement pensions. ABVAKABO negotiator Peter Wiechmann said he thought the employers' position was bizarre because the unions' demand would only add 0.05% to the overall wage bill. The unions are consulting with their members over what action they should