Dutch local government workers get 6%

Unions representing municipal workers in the Netherlands have agreed a 15-month pay settlement which provides them with an above-inflation 6.0% pay increase for next year. The deal, signed on 10 November, increases pay by 4.75% on 1 January 2024 and a further 1.25% on 1 October 2024. Inflation in the Netherlands is currently negative, although, if energy and fuel prices are excluded, prices are rising by 5.1%.

The agreement, which covers around 180,000 workers, is broadly in line with other recent settlements. Figures from the official statistics office show that collectively agreed pay, excluding special payments, was 6.3% higher in October 2023 than a year earlier.