December is the perfect time to look back and look ahead. And this year in particular: we are at a turning point, according to Union chairman Reinier Castelein. Collective labor agreement negotiations are more difficult and an uncertain economic period awaits us. 'The Netherlands lacks vision and decisive policy. Employers are finding it increasingly difficult, which also affects employees - while purchasing power has been at stake for some time. Fortunately, De Unie strongly for it. That gives us a good starting position to continue to fight for the work, income and well-being of our members in 2025.'
Rising trend comes to an end
In recent years it has been possible De Unie to establish attractive collective labour agreements during negotiations. The average wage increases in 2024 were 6,5 percent. We are of course very happy with that – especially since this was the second year in a row with these kinds of solid agreements. However, we are noticing a shift at the negotiating table. Agreements are becoming increasingly difficult to reach, employers are preparing for less favourable times. In fact, a number of them are preparing for reorganisations, such as KLM, Philips and Volksbank. Of course, things are not always going well in the shopping streets either, look at Blokker and Big Bazar. Companies are really preparing for economic headwinds in 2025.
Uncertainty reigns
It is not entirely surprising that employers are tightening their purse strings. We have been in a war economy for a while now, and we are noticing that. For example, energy costs are extremely high in the Netherlands. Partly due to the sanctions against Russia, but it also has to do with policy: otherwise the differences with neighbouring countries cannot be explained. For example, zinc manufacturer Nystar had a factory on both sides of the Dutch-Belgian border: the one in Budel had to close, while the branch in Belgium continues to operate as usual. That should not be possible if the sky-high energy costs are only due to the war and sanctions?
Lack of bigger story
Internationally, things have been turbulent for some time, both diplomatically and economically. As a national government, you can do two things: chart your own goal-oriented course or let yourself be carried away. In the Netherlands, we have been doing the latter for years. There is too little vision in The Hague, especially now that there is a need for a clear story. Only focus on the short term and polarization, not on the long term and connecting. You can see that, for example, in the hoops that employers have to jump through. Think of the regulations surrounding CO2- registration of commuter traffic or electric buses – which are heavier, which often require different driving licenses. In addition, they have difficulty gaining access to the electricity grid. Regardless of what you think of these individual measures, they make it more difficult than easy for entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurship, creativity and ambition are precisely what are needed to arm our country in times like these.
Attention to wallet, and therefore business climate
I recently spoke to someone from the rubber and plastics industry. In that sector, a law is being introduced that places an extra tax on granulate – a commonly used synthetic raw material – while this does not happen abroad. In one fell swoop, an entire export product is being ruined, making things very difficult for companies in that sector. Now you might be thinking: why does De Unie are concerned about employers, shouldn't they be committed to employees? Well, that's what we do. That's exactly why we express our concerns about the policy and business climate. We can only serve employees if we pay attention to employers: if they're not doing well, we can't make good collective labor agreements either.
The power of De Unie
Ultimately, we are all concerned with people's work and income. With purchasing power, which has not been going well for some time. Of course, we cannot improve that. What we can do: monitor the situation, make ourselves heard clearly and be there for our members. We represent them in this important matter. That is why it is so nice that De Unie is strong and vital. That makes us a powerful advocate, with a good starting position for 2025. And what's more: we don't have to increase our contribution for the fourth year in a row. We are extra happy about that - especially in these expensive times.
Themes for 2025
Purchasing power is of course high on our agenda for the coming year. But another topic that we will continue to pay a lot of attention to, especially now that the economic tide seems to be turning: a healthy work-life balance. Employers want productivity growth, which means more work in the same amount of time. That's fine of course, but there is a limit: it should not get in the way of well-being. The same applies to returning to the office after working from home a lot. Moreover, more and more people are having to deal with informal care, which can sometimes be very difficult to combine with the rest of your responsibilities. We advocate a healthy work-life balance. And that is more important than ever.
Join now, starting from €0
Full for connection
In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to play a connecting role for our members. A good example: our congress last year, where we focused on the declining purchasing power and control over your own life. We have never had so many registrations. There were almost five hundred, but unfortunately we only had room for 220 people. It was a great day. Neuropsychologist Erik Scherder enthusiastically explained what financial stress does to our brain. And Dennis van der Meij and Henry Lootens from the Solar Basterds gave useful tips for making your home more sustainable in order to get a grip on your energy costs. I look forward to the joint moments with our members in 2025!
