News

Personeel

  • Universities: ‘A blow to our students and staff’

    Onderwijs

    Solid cuts to education and research in general agreement

    Today, the coalition-forming parties presented their general agreement. The cuts to education, research and innovation came as a major shock to universities. These plans will damage the future of young people and the Netherlands. Jouke de Vries, acting president of Universities of the Netherlands: ‘The cuts to education and science are a blow to our students and staff who are already under enormous pressure. Together with the sharp intervention in the international nature of universities, these cuts are harming our ability to provide quality education and carry out research. This does not match the coalition-forming parties’ ambition to strengthen the knowledge economy and earning power of the Netherlands. With these cuts, we are putting the future of our country's youth at stake.’

  • Universities to systematically improve social safety

    Personeel

    Dutch universities will do even more to improve social safety in their institutes. On 14 May, the Labour Inspectorate presented a study on undesirable behaviour, workload and working hours that showed, among other things, that more than half of all academic staff had experienced undesirable behaviour in the past two years. Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) is shocked by these results. Rianne Letschert, president of the Executive Board of Maastricht University on behalf of UNL: ‘It is unacceptable that so many employees should have to deal with undesirable behaviour. A safe working environment is not only a fundamental right of all staff and students, but also an essential prerequisite for high-quality education and research.’

  • Dozens of safety measures for academics

    Personeel

    UNL, KNAW and NWO have published a monitor on external intimidation, hatred and threats against academics

    Between November 2022 and December 2023, a total of 45 one-off and 14 structural safety measures were taken for academics or university staff. This was one of the findings of the Monitor for external intimidation, hatred and threats against academics, published today by the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). UNL President Caspar van den Berg says, “It is appalling and unacceptable for academics to have to worry about their safety after sharing their research results. The monitor shows how important it is that we all continue to stand behind our academics.”

  • Definitive agreement on CAO 2023-2024 for Dutch Universities

    Personeel

    On 26 July, following a positive backbench consultation, Universities of the Netherlands and the employees’ organisations FNV, FBZ, CNV Overheid and AOb converted the CAO negotiating settlement which was concluded on 28 June into a definitive agreement. The collective labour agreement (CAO-NU) is in effect from 01 April 2023 through 30 June 2024.