Teachers’ salaries to rise 5.8% as unions and employers reach new agreement
Teachers are set to receive a 5.8 percent salary increase as part of their new collective bargaining agreement. The salary increase is spread out over 16 months in the agreement signed by the employers' associations and the trade union, NOS reports.
The previous collective bargaining agreement expired on November 1. The new arrangements apply retroactively from November 1 and are valid until March 1, 2027.
The first salary increase of 4.6 percent will come into effect this month. Another 1.2 percent will come on top of that in a year's time. A greater number of teachers will also now qualify for an extra payment, known as the October allowance, which is worth more than 300 euros. Previously, many support staff members, who also face high workloads, were excluded. The figures apply to primary school and secondary school teachers.
“By coordinating wage agreements, we prevent a new pay gap from emerging between primary and secondary education,” negotiator for the CNV trade union Abhilash Sewgobind said. The agreement will apply to 190,000 employees in primary education and over 113,000 in secondary schools.
Another issue to be solved is the high work pressure on teachers. “This is about trusting the people who make a difference every day. Teachers, school leaders, and support staff need the freedom to perform their work properly. It’s the responsibility of policymakers to demonstrate that trust, through investment in education, not budget cuts,” the CNV said.
The collective bargaining agreement contains several measures to improve the issue. The annual budget for professional development will be increased, offering teachers more resources and time for training, Teachers will receive more flexibility in how they use their non-teaching hours. The agreement includes provisions to better monitor and reduce tasks that fall outside core teaching responsibilities, and the number of days for partially paid parental leave will be expanded, providing better support for teachers with young families.
