In the spring of 2015 observers noted serious delays in the conclusion of collective agreements. Recent evidence has changed the picture somewhat. Negotiations in certain sectors such as the large metals sector remain quagmired and in the significant hospitality sector, the employers’ body Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) decided to opt out of negotiations following the expiry of the sector’s collective agreement in 2014. In its place KHN introduced an employment conditions model for workers that excluded the unions. However, around the summer period, renewal of collective agreements started up again in several other sectors.
In early November 2015 and following a request from members of the Dutch parliament, the Ministry of Labor presented a report on the state of, and on the outlook for collective bargaining in the country (1). The report was accompanied by a comprehensive study on how well the mechanism for extending collective agreements throughout the Netherlands was actually operating. The study indicated that the mechanism was functioning adequately. The Ministry of Labor underlined that responsibility for co
…Do you have information to share with us?