On 12 February 2026, the De Unie trade union held an online meeting with VodafoneZiggo staff. The outcome of the negotiations on the new collective agreement was explained during this meeting. You can now watch a recording of this meeting.
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We have done our best to anonymise the meeting, which is why you will see blue bars on the right of the screen covering the identities of the attendees.
The cabinet wants to shorten the maximum duration of unemployment benefit to one year. This means that if you are dismissed, you will have a shorter entitlement to a wage-related benefit.
In addition, it is proposed that the maximum daily wage be reduced by 20%. This maximum sets the upper limit for unemployment benefit.
The cabinet is also proposing to significantly limit accrual. Currently, for every year worked in the first 10 years, you accrue 1 month of unemployment benefit. If this cabinet has its way, this will be halved to half a month per year worked. This means that after ten years of employment, you will only be able to rely on unemployment benefit for five months instead of 10 months, and will otherwise have to fall back on social assistance.
In addition, the reference period requirement is being adjusted, meaning you will have to have worked for longer to even qualify for the short-term unemployment benefit of 3 months. Both have major consequences, especially for young people.
The benefit in the first two months of unemployment benefit should be increased from 75% to 80%.
Sample calculation (indicative):
If the maximum daily wage 20% falls:
That's a difference of nearly €1,000 gross per month at maximum benefit.
For middle and higher incomes, this can therefore mean a significant drop in income.
The plans involve a reduction in benefits under the WIA in several areas. The most significant changes relate to (1) the benefit ceiling and (2) the abolition of IVA (for new entrants).
For people with supplementary insurance for an excess, it depends on the policy terms whether this difference is compensated (and for how long).
For the state pension (AOW), the intention to further increase the state pension age means that you may become entitled to your state pension earlier than previously agreed in the Pension Agreement. In the coalition agreement, the state pension age is linked 1-to-1 to the increase in life expectancy, as opposed to 8 months per year of life as part of the pension agreement.
Image: Old Age Pension plans Cabinet (image: NOS.nl)
This can mean:
