Source: Service Management
The atmosphere remains as good as ever, but the CAO negotiations are getting tougher. This is the conclusion of Fedde Monsma, manager CLA, Labour Relations and Projects at Schoonmakend Nederland, after two days (Thursday 4 and Friday 5 November) of negotiations in Dalfsen. Hot topics are early retirement, sick leave and night work.
First of all, unions FNV and CNV agreed to bring the bulk of the rules from the working conditions collective agreement into the Health and Safety Catalogue. “That is more of a technical exercise because it is more convenient. We did not add any new elements to it.”
Quitting work earlier
More difficult was the subject of earlier retirement, shaped in the cleaning industry by the temporary RVU scheme. The scheme applies for up to 1 year before the start date of the state pension age. The scheme lasts until 31 December 2025. “We want to continue the first year early retirement anyway, but we are getting fewer applications for this scheme than expected. On the other hand: this is actually a plaster for a wound while we want to put much more effort at the front on sustainable employability. So that cleaners can happily continue working in the industry throughout their careers and also enjoy a healthy retirement.”
The RVU scheme now allows employers to contribute tax-free to the early retirement of their employees. In the cleaning industry, one year's early retirement has been agreed. In other industries, employees can retire up to three years earlier.
Generation pact
Added to this is the generation pact. This could also be a solution in the cleaning industry, according to Monsma. “With that, you have three elements that are linked: working less means less salary and less pension accrual. Unions have proposed, for example, 70 per cent working is 95 per cent salary and 95 per cent pension accrual. Common is 80, 90, 100. We think this generation pact is a difficult exercise at company level. In addition, we want to look at it in conjunction with the RVU scheme. What do we get if we combine this?”
Schoonmakend Nederland's wage offer was not on the table this time either. That will happen during the next round, on 22 and 23 November in Uchelen. “Then we will come up with an integral bid,” asserts Monsma. “We will spend the next week and a half developing all our positions in coherence.”
Sickness absence survey
Schoonmakend Nederland did already put a request on the table to investigate sick leave. “We have a high absenteeism rate in the industry and a lot of it is short-term absenteeism. The Monday morning syndrome. We are not going to reintroduce waiting days, but we do want to know how big the problem is and where that sick leave comes from. If it comes from debt issues, for instance, entrepreneurs are willing to help with debt relief. In short, what reasons lie behind it?”
Schedule night work better
Trade unions FNV and CNV came up with additional proposals to better schedule night work. “This includes so-called forward scheduling. This involves employers scheduling in such a way that it better matches biorhythms. We are going to look at the proposals for that.”
Work must pay
Finally, employer and employee organisations decided to jointly lobby The Hague to make working in the cleaning industry rewarding. Monsma: “If you have several jobs in cleaning, you are taxed several times as a cleaning worker. That has to change. In addition, people on welfare can easily work in our sector, but they don't do so because they are then cut off on welfare or allowances. We are going to sound the alarm in The Hague about that too.”
English (UK)