Collective wage development remains a major topic of discussion in 2024. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (MinSZW) The average collective wage increase in the market sector is currently 6,7%. This percentage is slightly lower than the average of all collective agreements surveyed in the Netherlands, which currently stands at 6,9% lies.
Duration and differences by sector
Of the 149 collective agreements surveyed, 125 have a term that covers the whole of 2024. For the market sector, the figures are also clear: of the 122 collective agreements in this sector, 102 have a stipulated wage increase that applies to 2.5 million employees.
CAO wage growth varies depending on the closing date of the agreement. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the highest average wage increase agreed for 2024 was 7,5%. This then dropped to 7,3% in the first quarter of 2024 and onwards to 6,4% in the second quarter.
Scenarios for the rest of 2024
For the remaining collective agreements without stipulated agreements, there are three possible scenarios:
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- Zero line (no further wage increases): the average CAO wage increase will then remain at 6,5%.
- Full realisation of FNV wage demand of 14%: the average collective wage increase then rises to 7,8%.
- An average of previous agreements from 2024 (5.7%): the CAO wage increase then comes to 7,0%.
Looking ahead to 2025
Agreements have also already been reached for 2025. For 39 collective agreements, covering 1.5 million employees, the average collective wage increase to date is 5,0%. In the market sector, initial figures for 2025 show an average increase of 5,7% for 1.1 million employees.
Conclusion
Employees in the market sector can expect an average collective bargaining wage increase of 6,7%, with variations depending on the collective agreement concluded. For 2025, the average increase seems to be somewhat lower, around 5,7%. Trade union VHP2 remains closely involved in the negotiations and will continue to work for a fair wage increase for its members.
Source:
MinSZW - Collective wage development, 1 September 2024