Staff in Dutch universities set to receive a pay raise and bonus payment

University employees can soon look forward to a 9 percent salary raise and a one-time lump sum bonus payment of up to 1,200 euros. A group of unions negotiated concluded a collective bargaining agreement with the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), labor union FNV announced on Thursday. The collective bargaining agreement affects over 63,000 employees across 14 universities in the Netherlands.

This new collective bargaining agreement includes a 9 percent salary raise, effective from August 1, 2023, for all staff members. Additionally, a one-time bonus payment will be disbursed, which varies from 800 euros for those in the top salary brackets to 1,200 euros for employees in the lower wage scales. Technical workers in training will also qualify for a base minimum wage of 14 euros per hour, followed by a 9 percent raise and a lump sum bonus. Workers will also receive their annual bonus in November instead of December.

The deal also includes a commitment to reduce the ratio of temporary to permanent contracts from 15 percent down to 13.5 percent over the next three years. This transition is expected to convert 300 temporary roles into permanent positions, affecting assistant professors and lecturers. In an additional noteworthy change, employees with different beliefs or religions can opt to substitute the national Good Friday holiday for an alternative annual holiday that fits their own belief system. Workers who fall ill will also receive their full salary for an entire first year of the illness, and those over 57 years of age will no longer have to work overnight shifts.

"It's important that we offer employees career prospects," said Margot van der Starre, who led the negotiations on behalf of the universities. "Now it's up to us to start implementing the agreement," she told ANP.

The previous agreement expired at the end of March. The duration of this collective bargaining agreement is 15 months, dating back to April 1, 2023, with the pay raise effective in August, and the contract ending on June 30, 2024.

Jan Boersma, the collective bargaining leader at FNV Education & Research, admitted that reaching this agreement took some time. He said he regards it as a positive outcome, noting that "a substantial wage increase was desperately needed, especially for employees on lower pay scales, to keep up with the rising cost of living." He noted that the initiative can be seen as a significant step toward decreasing the number of flexible jobs for teachers at Dutch universities.

The membership of the unions that negotiated the deal will vote on the deal in the coming weeks. The parties involved will determine by July 26 if this negotiation result can be transitioned into a final agreement.