Netherlands: Employers claim pay rises fall short of union demands

Average wage increases in collective agreements concluded so far in 2007 stand at 2.16%, well short of the 3% demanded by the trade unions, according to the AWVN employers’ organisation.

The AWVN bases its figure on a survey of nearly 60 agreements, and its announcement has been interpreted as an attempt to allay employer fears of an upward trend in pay rises.