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Country:  Netherlands

Period: 1994

Title of the pact: A New Course: Agenda for the 1994 Negotiations on Collective Labour Agreements in a Medium-Term Perspective

Negotiating Parties: Social partners represented in the Foundation of Labour (Stichting van de Arbeid, STAR): Federation of Netherlands Industries, Netherlands Trade Union Confederation, Federation of Christian Employers in the Netherlands, Confederation of Christian Trade Unions in the Netherlands, Royal Netherlands Federation of Industries, Trade Union Federation for Intermediate and Higher Employees, Federation of Christian Industries in the Netherlands, Catholic Farmers and Market Gardeners Association in the Netherlands, Royal Netherlands Agriculture Committee, Christian Farmers and Market Gardeners Association in the Netherlands.

Objectives of the pact: Setting the agenda for collective agreements in the medium term.

Matters agreed:

• Principle of “tailor-made” adjustment and diversity to meet the needs of both enterprises and employees.
• Greater differentiation of regulations and more options within regulations.
• Further move toward the decentralisation of collective bargaining.
• In view of the depressed economic conditions, wage increases will be very limited.
• More wage flexibility may be sought for certain segments of the work force.
• Promotion for training schemes especially for the low skilled.
• Promotion of part-time work and differentiation in working-hour patterns.
• Improvement of the employment conditions of those combining paid work and family care tasks.
• Development of an adequate policy for older employees.
• Need for measures to reduce absenteeism.
• Special policies to enhance employability of disabled workers and the long-term unemployed.

Institutions involved: Foundation of Labour (Stichting van de Arbeid, STAR)

Background: This agreement was concluded with the Dutch economy in recession.  Problems of high unemployment and low rate of labour participation persisted.