In this message we would like to tell you more about the state of affairs surrounding the switch to a new pension at Metalektro. And we have asked our members to share a maximum of three important topics with us for the new collective labor agreement. This expires on May 31, 2024 De Unie is already busy preparing for the negotiations. These will start in mid-March 2024.
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What was that again? Where are we standing right now?
You can view the current collective labor agreement(s). Here find. This collective labor agreement was concluded very quickly last year. You can here our message read about that again. We are now busy working out the study agreements. For example, we know that the early retirement scheme (RVU) with 45 years of service is possible without additional costs and we are in the process of completing the pilot on informal care. If you would like to contribute to this, you can complete the questionnaire Here to fill in.
In addition, there is an investigation to look at the obstacles and opportunities in attracting and retaining women for our sector. There is also one around career changes nice research completed, which identified obstacles and opportunities. We are also finalizing the route to merging the HP and Basic collective labor agreements. We include the recommendations from all these studies in our thinking De Unie-proposals for a new collective labor agreement.
Your new pension? How are things?
Work to live is a frequently heard motto. During your career in Metalektro you build up a pension with Pensioenfonds Metalektro (PME), so that you can enjoy a pleasant retired life even after your working life. Last May, years of discussions and battles about a new pension system came to a definitive end. Where we supplement the good things from the current system with good things from the new system.
Your pension explained in a video series
Because ultimately a pension is nothing more and nothing less than what you now put aside (the premium), plus the investment results (on average about 5x your premium contribution) minus the costs (of the pension fund). Whichever system you put it in, the more you contribute, the higher your pension (all other circumstances being equal). The less buffers are maintained for bad times, the more can be paid out. And the less buffers you keep, the greater the chance that you will also have to reduce your pensions in the event of a setback.
The Trade Union Confederation for Professionals (VCP), where De Unie is affiliated with, has made extensive unique explanations in videos about the current system, the new system and the transition from the current to the new pension system. You can watch these via https://pensioen.vcp.nl/. Worth watching!
De Unie-pension contribution Metalektro
De Unie has formulated a commitment in Metalektro (and Metal and Technology) that does justice to what was written above: as much premium as possible, so that you build up as much pension as possible and also build up pension on as much salary as possible. This also includes shift work allowance and preferably up to the maximum fiscally facilitated salary (approximately 130.000 euros in 2023). You can De Unie approach for the new pension in Metalektro our letter of commitment .
Pension over shift work allowance: the first stumbling block
We had several consultation moments in September and October. Discussions are at a standstill at the moment, because the employers do not want our wish to accrue a pension on the shift work allowance in principle. And you now know that you cannot live on your principles and neither can you build up a pension on your shift work allowance during your retirement. Because it is a matter of principle, you do not get around to solving the question of how we are going to pay for it together.
Excess scheme: the second stumbling block
The issue of the excess arrangement is also a difficult one. De Unie wants all these schemes, voluntarily offered by employers, for colleagues who earn more than € 86.202 in exchange for a mandatory scheme under the basic scheme. These 24.000 colleagues also build up a pension up to the maximum tax-facilitated salary of almost € 130.000. The employers mainly want to hold on to freedom and happiness, so that some of the employees in the Metalektro do not accrue a pension on their full salary. This is because some employers do not offer this top-up scheme to their employees. The employers at the negotiating table do not want to make any moves on this point either.
Negotiations are formally at a standstill; there is a lot of talk going on behind the scenes
We are now looking behind the scenes to see whether things can move here and there. We want to complete the pension before the collective labor agreement negotiations, as we had agreed for the previous negotiations. To be continued.
