A collective bargaining agreement doesn't just happen. What we can achieve at the negotiating table depends on what members consider important. Without input, we can't make proposals that actually align with workplace practices. That's why we've started conducting polls.
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Following our poll on sustainable employability, we asked our members last week to complete our latest poll on informal caregiving. We received a huge response, so thank you!
How much room does your employer give you to carry out your caregiving tasks?
In response to the question posed above, most members indicate their employer provides them with sufficient flexibility to perform informal caregiving tasks. However, a significant number experience less flexibility: some members indicate little flexibility, while a similar proportion indicate no flexibility. Only a very small percentage of members experience significant flexibility. This points to differences between employers and a possible lack of structured policy on this issue.
Do you know what has been agreed in your collective labor agreement about informal care?
Knowledge of the collective labor agreement (CLA) regarding informal care appears to be limited. More than half of members indicate they don't fully understand what has been agreed upon. A slightly smaller percentage have no idea. Only a small percentage of members say they know the agreements reasonably well. This lack of knowledge can lead to employees not taking advantage of what is already available within the CLA.
Does the current collective labor agreement offer you sufficient opportunities to combine your care tasks with your work?
The majority are dissatisfied with the options the collective labor agreement offers for combining work and caregiving. A significant portion of members indicate that there are few options. Only a small percentage of members consider the options sufficient. A very small number of members feel the collective labor agreement offers no options. This aligns with the perception that, on the one hand, there is a lack of flexibility and, on the other, insufficient awareness of the possibilities.
What do you need to better combine your care tasks with your work?
When asked what people need to better combine their care tasks with work, the following is most often mentioned:
- Flexible working hours, such as starting earlier or finishing later;
- Customized solutions, tailored to the situation;
- Understanding and space from the employer;
- Leave arrangements or better agreements on taking (un)paid leave.
Key signals from the comments
In their open comments, several members emphasized employers' reluctance and the need for better agreements and communication about the options. One member pointed out that combining work with hospital visits or administrative assistance is difficult without flexibility.
Ready to see how Snowflake works?
While some members in the Metal and Technology sector feel they have sufficient scope to perform informal caregiving tasks, the majority see insufficient opportunities in their collective labor agreements and often don't know exactly what has been agreed upon. This points to a dual challenge: the collective labor agreement needs to be better aligned with practical situations, and communication about existing rights needs to be improved.
De Unie can respond to this by calling for more attention to flexibility and customized caregiving in collective labor agreements. At the same time, it's important to actively inform members about their rights and options. This way, we can work together to improve support for caregivers in the Metal and Technology sectors.
Continuation
Following this feedback from the final poll, we will begin drafting a proposal letter for the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. We will first submit this to you. We hope to do this in September. After members' approval, we will send our proposals to the employer delegation on behalf of De Unie.
With more members we achieve more!
Send this message (and subsequent messages) from De Unie Pass it on to colleagues. The more colleagues are aware of the negotiations, the better. Together, we ensure the best possible collective bargaining agreement.
Ask your colleagues to join as well De UnieThe more members, the greater our influence at the negotiating table. Becoming a member is very easy via this link.
Contact Me
If you have any questions or comments about this message, please contact the advocate Suat Koetloe at Suat.Koetloe@unie.nl
