It takes more time to conclude a collective labor agreement
The self-imposed deadline of 1 April for concluding the collective labor agreement has not been met. "It is taking more time than expected," the social partners said in a joint statement.
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An important part of the collective labor agreement is closing the pay gap – the difference in salary between employees in primary education and their colleagues in secondary education. This operation is taking more time than expected, the social partners wrote in a statement joint statement.
A broader package is needed to address all challenges
“There are many technical snags in closing the pay gap,” says director Thijs Roovers, who, on behalf of the AOb sitting at the negotiating table. For example, the collective labor agreement for primary education is for people in all positions, including support staff. In total, this concerns more than 150 thousand people, who are in different salary scales and will not all benefit equally. "It is quite a job to ensure that everyone will soon be paid the same as colleagues in secondary education."
“It is a difficult time for education,” says Roovers. “Corona and the shortage of teachers and school leaders mean that only a collective labor agreement about closing the pay gap is not sufficient. A broader package is needed to tackle all challenges. That takes more time than both we and the employers expected, but we now want to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
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