Universities and employee organisations reach agreement on new collective agreement
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Pay rise of 2% and 100 euros gross per month, fund for employability employees and commitment to equal pay for women and men
Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) has reached a bargaining agreement with employee organisations on the one-year collective labour agreement for Dutch universities. This agreement includes a structural wage increase of 2% from 1 July 2025, topped by 100 euros gross per month. Employees in lower scales thus benefit more than those in higher scales. On average, this amounts to a 4.2% wage increase. Also, all employees will receive a one-off payment of EUR 350 gross. Furthermore, a total of €45 million will be made available to set up a fund for training and development for each university to increase the employability and mobility of employees in the context of reorganisations. Margot van der Starre, Vice President of Utrecht University and head of the UNL delegation, says: "The current government's massive cuts are hitting hard at universities. With this agreement, we are offering a responsible wage increase and ensure that we can properly support employees during these difficult times."
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The university sector is under increasing pressure. The Netherlands has not met the target of investing 3% of GDP in research and innovation for years. The Schoof Cabinet's half-billion euro cuts to higher education have meant that all universities have to make hefty, cuts and reorganisations have already been announced in several places. For this reason, the universities and employees' organisations decided not to use the entire wage space for salary increases, but also to use some of the money for employee mobility and development. Another focus of this collective labour agreement is equal pay for women and men. The parties to the collective labour agreement will clarify the (possible) pay differences and take measures where necessary.
‘Employability Fund’
The parties to the collective labour agreement have agreed on a one-off €45 million to set up a three-year Fund to promote employability. This means that each university will have money available to support employees in their professional development and career mobility during times of budget cuts and reorganisations. This makes employees more flexible in the labour market and, if their jobs are under pressure, they can be better guided to work inside or outside the academy. Each university will set up its own fund, in consultation with its employees from the Local Consultative Body. Social safety The parties to the collective labour agreement want to improve social safety. This has already been agreed in previous collective agreements, but the universities want to take the next step. Therefore, using the KNAW report of the Ellemers Committee, the parties to the collective labour agreement will analyse how to improve social safety. In particular, they will look at selection procedures and executive training. For the full negotiation result, with all agreements, see this link.
