wage increase

Consumer prices were on average 2.6 percent higher in 2019 than in 2018, the biggest price increase since 2002. The increase was driven by increases in the low VAT rate and energy tax in January last year, according to figures Statistics Netherlands released on Thursday.

For the first time in Dutch history, there will be a nationwide strike among hospital workers on Thursday. They are striking for higher salaries and better working conditions. 

Nine out of ten hospitals in the Netherlands will be taking part in a strike for a better collective labor agreement on November 20th. A total of 82 hospitals and rehabilitation centers responded to the trade unions' call to strike. Employees of university hospitals will not participate because they fall under a different collective agreement, NU.nl reports.

The net wage of Dutch employees with an average income will increase by around 50 euros per month next year, according to calculations by payslip company Visma Raet based on figures released on Budget Day on Tuesday, RTL Z reports.

Dutch employees can look forward to higher-than-expected wage increases next year, according to calculations from employers' association AWVN based on the collective bargaining agreements that have already been reached, Financieele Dagblad reports.

Central planning office CPB expected a wage increase in the market sector of 2.5 percent next year. But based on the multi-year collective bargaining agreements already reached in the market sector, AWVN calculates a wage increase of 3.3 percent for next year. 

Eastern Europe is flourishing, with falling unemployment and rising wages. While this is great news for countries like Romania and Poland, it is a blow to the Dutch business world. Especially for companies that are increasingly dependent on migrant workers, ABN Amro said in a new report on labor migration, RTL Nieuws reports.

KLM pilots are threatening to strike if the Dutch airline does not respond to their demands for a better collective bargaining agreement before Friday, the Telegraaf reports based on a letter pilots' union VNV sent to its members.

The pilots demand a lighter workload and a wage increase, according to the newspaper. The negotiations between KLM and VNV have been deadlocked since VNV members rejected the proposed collective bargaining agreement in May. A spokesperson for KLM confirmed to the Telegraaf that the negotiations are "in a difficult phase". 

Trade unions FNV and CNV reached an agreement with regional public transporters about a new collective bargaining agreement. The nationwide strike that halted bus transport and some train traffic since Wednesday, is therefore over. From Monday everything will run as usual, the unions announced on Sunday, Omroep Brabant reports.

A regional public transit strike union FNV announced on Tuesday will start on Monday, be nationwide and will last as long it takes. The strike will affect regional buses and trains operated by regional transporters throughout the country, NU.nl reports.

The outlook for the Netherlands economy is still positive, the International Monetary Fund said in its annual report on the Netherlands. The IMF again raised concerns about the growth of wages in the country being smaller than other countries with comparable economies. Annual wage growth in the Netherlands is around 1 percent, too little to compensate for inflation, the IMF said, NOS and ANP report.

The Dutch government will not take any concrete measures to help Air France-KLM cope with the unrest on the French side of the airline, Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Hugo de Jonge both said, in different words, on Wednesday, NU.nl reports.

Air France employees are striking for a 5 percent wage increase. The strikes cost Air France 75 million euros so far, and resulted in the resignation of Air France-KLM's CEO last week.