Ministers reject compensation of education staff for lung covid
Education ministers Dennis Wiersma (VVD) and Robbert Dijkgraaf (D66) do not feel the responsibility to financially support education staff with lung covid. They think it's something for the school boards and the unions. AObchairman Tamar van Gelder: “We are being sent from pillar to post.”
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The ministers react with that on a letter of AOb and other educational organizations from January this year. In it, the organizations advocate financial compensation for education staff with lung covid. Thus states the AOb retroactive disability insurance without medical selection so that income is guaranteed. About 1700 people reported to the union's hotline, especially because education was one of the sectors where it was not possible to work from home.
Moral duty
The ministers write that they take the comments 'seriously', but also indicate that it belongs at the collective bargaining tables and are eager to see the results. 'Primary responsibility for the establishment of such schemes lies with the social partners.' In all collective labor agreements, the AOb income protection for colleagues who suffer from lung covid.
There will now be a separate scheme only for a specific group of people who worked in healthcare. 'With regard to this group, the cabinet feels a moral obligation to provide them with additional support', say Wiersma and Dijkgraaf.
The ministers believe that it belongs at the collective labor agreement tables and look forward to the results
Responsibility
“Nobody takes responsibility,” he says AObchairman Tamar van Gelder. “We have been arguing for financial compensation, insurance and income protection for so long, but the employers are pointing the finger at the cabinet. And this letter shows that the ministers are pointing the finger at the social partners. The education staff are the victims, especially those who are now on the eve of their examination that takes place after two years of illness.”
