Police union agrees to new contract with over 6.5 percent pay increase

After months of police protests and demonstrations, the police unions and the Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice finally reached a new collective bargaining agreement. Police employees will get between 6.5 and 6.7 percent increase in total over 2015, 2016 and 2017 and two windfalls of 500 euros, union ACP announced. The new contract also includes other agreements on other working conditions. Police officers will still be able to retire earlier - something the unions were adamant about - the standby tariff is doubled to 2 euros per hour and overtime is limited to 240 hours per year. The unions will now present the new collective bargaining agreement to their members. If they agree, the agreement will formally be implemented. According to the Ministry, all parties are "overjoyed" that they finally reached this result. Van der Steur called it "a fair and good collective agreement for all police officers". Police Chief Gerard Bouman is also pleased. "The corps leadership has always taken the position that police officers deserve a decent collective agreement that does justice to their work", he said to NU."They stand ready for society 24 hours a day, with all the risks that entails."