ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

After holding strike action for nine weeks, cleaner members of the FNV Bondgenoten trade union in the Netherlands have reached a settlement - winning the pay increases and education allowances they were campaigning for.

The settlement consists of a 3.5 per cent pay increase over two years, which is 1.5 per cent more than the general wage settlement agreed for the rest of the workforce in the Netherlands by the trade union. Temporary workers who went on strike will get their jobs back, and Dutch language lessons are to be introduced for all new entrants to the industry. If they complete the three-month course they will receive a €750 bonus.

Language lessons to be introduced

In addition a union advantage fund of €1.4 million will be set up and every member of the cleaning section will be paid a bonus. Another fund will be established to compensate the strikers for the loss of their holiday entitlement so they do not suffer too much from being on strike for such a long period.