The Parties to this Collective Labour Agreement are The Employers’ Association of Research Institutes (WVOI), on behalf of the following research institutes:
and The employee organisations
The Parties hereby declare that they entered into this Collective Labour Agreement at The Hague on 17 July 2024.
Research institutes fulfil a prominent role in the Dutch and international knowledge infra-structure. They make an essential contribution to the Dutch and international knowledge-based economy. Academic research and innovation are fundamental to the prosperity and welfare of the Netherlands. Societal challenges and questions are therefore leading for the research institutes. In other to be able to work together to enhance scientific knowledge, they need to be attractive employers for their three thousand employees, now and in the future.
Salary development
In accordance with the usual system, the salary increases will also be carried through in pensions and benefits.
Job security and working conditions
A safe and pleasant working environment is crucial when striving for working conditions that ensure both the quality of work and job security for employees. During the term of the collective labour agreement (CLA), the parties will conduct a study on work pressure. The issue of inaccessibility outside working hours will be part of this study.
The parties will monitor the issue of social safety during this CLA, which is a topic on the agenda of the (Central) Works Council. At the end of the CLA, the parties will review the situation, taking national developments into account.
Sustainable employability
Once every five years, employees can make use of a financial advisory session with providers designated by the parties. This will help employees who need advice on making financial decisions at different stages of their lives (such as providing informal care, pursuing education, or making retirement choices). The parties will establish a procedure for this by 31 December 2024 at the latest.
Month of the union
In ‘month of the union’ (maand van de vakbond), which is September, extra attention will be given to union membership. For the duration of this CLA, the parties agree to the following:
An employee who becomes a member of one of the employee organisations involved in the CLA in September will receive €100 net towards the first annual contribution reimbursed by the employer. Employee organisations will report back to employers at the end of the CLA term on the effectiveness of this agreement in attracting members to the unions.
Customized conditions of employment (AVOM)
The parties will investigate whether the AVOM scheme needs to be supplemented during the term of this CLA.
The CAO-OI applies a collective labour agreement in the sense of the Collective Agreements Act. This CLA has the status of a standard collective labour agreement from which there can be no derogation, unless this is explicitly allowed by the CLA. The CLA implements article 4.5 of the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW), insofar as agreed on at sector level. This CLA shall be reported as a standard collective labour agreement to the Health and Safety Inspectorate (DCA) of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.