The third round of negotiations for the new collective labor agreement for the Metal and Electrical Industry took place on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. The agenda included two sensitive topics: employers propose lower sick pay and they want to lower the salary threshold for wage increases. Reason enough for De Unie and the other unions to engage in robust discussions with employers. Below you can read the key points from this round.
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Sickness absence: investing in prevention, not in austerity
The first topic of the day was absenteeism due to illness. Employers want to reduce continued pay for long-term illnesses. De Unie and the other unions have clearly objected to this.
Illness isn't a choice. Employees who get sick deserve support, not punishment. Instead of cutting sick employees' salaries, we believe we should invest in preventing absenteeism. We've urged a focus on prevention, good working conditions, and compliance with occupational health and safety regulations. That's the way to truly reduce absenteeism.
Employers responded positively to our input. Together, we agreed to form a working group with representatives from both employers and unions. This working group will work on the joint proposals, which we will discuss further during the next meeting. This meeting will take place on November 11, 2025.
Collective Labor Agreement HP: lowering the salary limit is a step backwards
The salary threshold for wage increases within the collective labor agreement for higher professional education (CBA) has also been discussed extensively. Employers want to lower this threshold to €90.000; the same level as in 2013. Given the development of income and purchasing power since then, De Unie We believe this represents a completely unrealistic step backward for large groups of employees. We therefore strongly oppose this proposal.
There are already options for employers to make customized agreements with unions by concluding a B-collective labor agreement. Unfortunately, this option has hardly been used thus far. A missed opportunity. De Unie regarding.
At the unions' request, employers have agreed to better define the group of employees affected. We hope that, based on this, we can continue discussions in the next round on fair, future-proof agreements for the sector.
What about salary?
We do not yet have any clarity about what employers are offering for the wage increase in the upcoming collective labor agreement.
As trade unions, we have indicated that it is time for employers to come up with a concrete wage offer. De Unie believes that employees have the right to clear proposals that truly value their work and commitment. The employers indicate they want to wait with the offer.
Your input for the next meeting
In the coming weeks, we will prepare for the next round of negotiations, which will take place on November 11, 2025. We will, of course, keep our members informed of further developments.
Do you have any questions, comments, or input for us? Contact the negotiators. Jesse van Roeden of Peter Werger.
