WILLEMSTAD - At the request of the Netherlands as a support measure during the COVID-19 crisis, the parliament passed a law in 2020 that reduced civil servants' working conditions by 12.5 percent. Now that the crisis is over, the unions, including ABVO, are seeking to revise this law.
The new leadership of ABVO aims to end the 12.5 percent reduction in working conditions, arrange for the payment of “step increases” and the lump sum from 2019, and conclude new collective labor agreements. The main dispute between the government and the unions is the date on which the law should be repealed, as this affects the payments of indexation, step increases, and the lump sum.
According to George Hernandez, the chairman of ABVO, repealing this law is a priority for the union, and they demand clarity on when this will happen. For ABVO members working in foundations or other government institutions, the focus is on concluding new collective labor agreements. Many agreements have expired, and the union will start negotiations to achieve new ones, with the rising cost of living being an important point of discussion.