Source: Service Management
Chairman of industry association Schoonmakend Nederland Piet Adema reacts to the association's website on the million note presented by the cabinet last Tuesday during Budget Day. “Good that the cabinet is taking action with a substantial package of measures to improve the purchasing power of citizens.”
Cleaners and entrepreneurs
For cleaning workers, the measures will work out well, but there are also many entrepreneurs in the industry. For that group, it will be more exciting in the coming period, according to Adema. “The high inflation and energy costs are hitting our cleaners hard in the wallet, which is reflected in a rising number of wage garnishments in our industry. The price cap on energy, extension of the energy allowance and increase in rent and care allowance and the child-related budget are going to help our cleaners tremendously and give financial peace of mind. At the same time, uncertain times are dawning for our entrepreneurs. Despite the €600 million package for SMEs, we are worried about the sum of additional burden increases, the accelerated increase in the minimum wage and all the other costs they face.”
Cold clothes
Cleaning has been paying more than the minimum wage for years, yet Adema expects the increase in the minimum wage to have an impact on cleaning contractors as well. Indeed, the increase in the minimum brings with it the expectation that wages just above it will also rise with it. “Although cleaning has been paying 120 per cent of the legal minimum hourly wage for years, such an accelerated increase has a huge impact on a labour-intensive sector like cleaning. Add to that the increase in corporate income tax and you can understand that this burden increase will not leave our entrepreneurs cold,” Adema said.
Positive measures
Three measures that the chairman is sure to praise are the widening of the working expenses scheme, the reduction of the disability premium and the use of the STAP budget for MBO employees. The latter in the context of lifelong learning, which has been a theme in cleaning for some time. The former was fought for by the cleaning industry, among others. “The widening of the WKR was partly made possible by strong lobbying from the cleaning sector. The widening gives our employers the opportunity to do something extra for their employees in these uncertain times, without part of this again going to the state treasury. However, we do ask the cabinet to increase the amount, as 50 million offers little relief.”
English (UK)