New CLA Central Government workers Caribbean Netherlands final
On November 30th and December 1st ,2017 the employment conditions negotiations for the civil servants started. It was a wish of the unions to have an agreement in time because of the expiring CAO 2016-2017.
Negotiations continued on January 18, 2018 and resulted in a negotiation result. The result was a combination of wishes from the trade unions and the employer. This result has been signed by all four unions and the employer. The agreement has been made that the unions consult their members with a positive advice. It was agreed that the negatiations should continue on February 15th, 2018, so that there was sufficient time for the consultation of the members.
On February 15, 2018 all four trade unions met again with the employer. Three trade unions indicated that their members agreed with the negotiation result. The NAPB requested postponement because they were unable to consult enough members. According to the chairman of the NAPB, he could not agree based upon the reaction of the members present.
The trade unions ABVO, ACOM and WICSU-PSU and the employer point out that the signing is in the interest of all employees (early payment of a salary increase) and the progress of the decentralized consultation (with public entities, education, etc.). Although the NAPB stepped out of the consultation, the three trade unions and the employer signed a legally valid agreement for all employees (including NAPB members).
Despite the employer's insistence, the NAPB decided not to take part in the consultation any further. The three trade unions and the employer regretted the withdrawal of the NAPB, because there are other important topics on the agenda that are also important for their members.
With this terms of employment agreement a salary increase for all civil servants will take place; 2% in 2018 and 1.75% in 2019.
In addition, a long cherished wish of the unions to introduce a thirteenth month has been realized step by step. With this agreement all civil servants will receive a percentage end-of-year bonus of 5% in 2018, 2019 in 6% and 7% in 2020 instead of the current nominal end-of-year bonus of USD 1250. In addition, the minimum amount compared with the current year-end bonus has increased to USD 1500, so that all civil servants in the Caribbean Netherlands have benefitted. The CLA has been negotiated for three years and runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2018 - 2020.
In June 2018, conversations will be held with the State Secretary of the Interior and Kingdom Relations about the life-cycle conscious personnel policy and possible reduction of working hours.
With these measures all civil servants in the Caribbean Netherlands benefit from the economic development in European Netherlands