Netherlands: threat of conflict in the light metal industry

Negotiations are at a standstill in the Metaal & Techniek industry, which employs 330,000 people in 30,000 different businesses.  No one came to the last meeting planned within the framework of these negotiations on March 30th.  Not unions, calling for a 2.5% wage increase in 2011, and not employers, who are only willing to give a 1.75% wage increase and will not yield to any other union claims.  Jan Berghuis, FNV & Allies representative, says that employers’ attitude is “destructive.”  Employers could face a social conflict, strikes being seen as the last resort in the Netherlands.  Unions want better working conditions for temporary workers, the abolition of youth minimum wage and better access to continuing education.  They also want special plans to help employees stay healthy until the end of their career, since retirement is bound to increase to 66 and then 67 in the Netherlands.  For their part, in the next collective agreement, employers want the removal of special days off for seniors, and the establishment of Saturday as a regular business day (see our dispatch No.  110115).  “They are going to make the sector unappealing” Berghuis said, with a closed, ageing labor market which is going to face, in the years to come, workforce shortages.