Netherlands: Parliament adopts draft reform of flexible work and dismissal rules

The Minister of Social Affairs Lodewijk Asscher proposed in November 2013 a far-reaching reform of the organisation of flexible contracts and of the legislation regarding redundancies and unemployment benefits. The formulated proposals stem from a tripartite agreement with the social partners that was concluded in early April 2013. The bill, which still needs to be adopted by the Senate, makes it harder to sign successive fixed-term contracts and reforms dismissal benefits.
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In that ‘social pact’ it was agreed to cut the length of unemployment coverage from three years to less than two and to strengthen the legal position of temporary and flex workers. In return the government promised to postpone further austerity measures and to put on ice a €4 billion raft of cuts planned for 2014.

More security for temporary and flex workers. The planned legislation should lead to less abuse of flexible employment arrangements. In order to avoid a ‘career’ of successive fixed-te

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