At least 7% more pay and loyalty bonus for cleaners and window cleaners in the new collective labor agreement

Renate Bos, director of FNV Schoonmaak: ‘For now we are satisfied with the pay increase, but we really still have to make progress. Cleaners do important work and you can earn substantially more than the minimum wage.’

Closing for President FNV Cleaning Parliament

If the union members agree, the new collective labor agreement will come into effect on July 1, 2024 with a term of two years. A nice ending for Khadija Tahiri Hyati, President of the FNV Cleaning Parliament. She has been intensively involved in collective labor agreement negotiations since 2012. Hyati: ‘We are proud cleaners who make an important contribution to the economy and society. We have had to fight for years, for every cent, but we are now finally seen and heard. But we don’t stop, we continue.’

Wage

Wages will increase by 3% on January 1, 2025 and wages will rise again by 3% on January 1, 2026. All cleaners will receive an additional increase on July 1, 2025 and January 1, 2026, depending on their pay group. This amounts to 25 cents per hour for wage group 1, for wage group 2 it is 15 cents and wage groups 3 to 6 receive an extra 10 cents.

Better reward

‘Cleaners in the Netherlands really demand a better income.’ says Bos. ‘Due to the agreements we have now made, the difference between a cleaner’s wage and the statutory minimum wage has increased again. But if you want to retain people in the sector, that difference must be increased to 125% of the minimum wage as quickly as possible.’ The surcharge for hotel cleaners working on Sundays will be returned. In three steps, so that the surcharge is 150% again on January 1, 2028. ‘Bos: ‘This was abolished for hotel cleaners in 2016, but the other cleaners will receive it. So it is right that these unfair differences should now come to an end.’

Loyalty bonus and improvement in travel expenses

The 20,000 cleaners who have worked in the sector for twenty years or more on January 1, 2025 will receive a loyalty bonus of € 1,000 gross in proportion to their employment. Bos: ‘A bonus for their hard work and closing the gaps caused by the tight labor market, but also as compensation for the loss of purchasing power over the past twenty years.’ And there is now a real travel allowance for commuting, including for cleaners who live close to their work. From now on, cleaners will be reimbursed from 10 kilometers one way, which was only from 30 kilometers one way.

Generation pact scheme and early retirement

The generation pact scheme, which allows older employees to work less while retaining wages, among other things, is being improved. With effect from the new collective labor agreement, those who wish can work less five years before the state pension age (which was three years). That means working 80%, for 95% of the salary and 95% pension accrual. It has also been agreed that earlier retirement for people with heavy work (all cleaners) should remain possible after 2025 and the arrangement should be improved as soon as The Hague starts listening to the unions.

Further appointments

Attention is paid to menstrual and menopausal problems and there will be an extra day of bereavement leave in the event of the death of 2nd degree relatives. Trade unions and employers will offer help to cleaners with financial problems and agreements have been made to ensure that collective labor agreements are better respected.