Netherlands: towards a relaxing of the law on dismissals

The Dutch government concluded, on July 4, an amendment bill to the law on dismissals, demanded by employers and contested by trade unions. Access to unemployment compensation would be made easier and the law would set a minimum amount for lay-off allowances. (Ref. 070608)
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The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs proposed to suppress procedures forcing dismissed employees to go before labour jurisdictions to prove that the dismissal is not their choice and thus pretend to unemployment compensation. The government also plans to introduce a national standard for the compensation: one month’s pay for every seniority year, one month and a half for 40-50 years olds, and two months for people over 50. Today, these allowances are negotiated individually, or set as part

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