Public servants' union withdraws opposition to longer working week

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In August 2000, the Dutch public service workers' union, Abvakabo, withdrew its opposition to employees working for longer than 36 hours a week in some circumstances, though it continues to consider the current 36-hour week as the norm. This is in line with the findings of recent research among its members. Albeit cautiously, AbvaKabo has accepted the idea of "multiple choice" or "à la carte" collective agreements, within which individual employees may exercise greater choice as to their conditions of employment.

The AbvaKabo public service workers' union, affiliated to the Dutch Trade Union Federation (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging, FNV), has withdrawn its opposition to a longer working week. Although the union will continue to consider the current 36-hour working week as the norm, it has reached the conclusion - based on research findings published in August 2000 - that employees' demands to have the option of working a longer week should be accommodated.

Almost 40% of some 1,000 public sector employees interviewed in research conducted in 1999 on behalf of AbvaKabo (by the University of Amsterdam's Institute of Labour Studies) stated that being able to choose to work longer hours for additional payment was important to them. However, those concerned often already work longer hours for no extra pay. Some 45% of respondents expressed a willingness to work for less pay in exchange for more time off. On balance, therefore, employees seem more eager to work less than to extend their working week. In the light of these findings, AbvaKabo would like to offer a greater variety of choices for employees in collective agreements - something already achieved in agreements covering the national defence force and hospitals (NL0007199F). In the former, it is already customary for staff to work for two hours less or more than the norm per week. Under the terms of the latter, employees can work for four hours more a week and accumulate these extra hours to be taken in the form of extended leave. The research findings revealed that no less than 60% of the employees interviewed would clearly like more leave.

The trade union's acceptance of the idea of "multiple choice" or "à la carte" collective agreements (NL9906144F) has certainly been aided by the fact that the research findings revealed a preference for working shorter or longer hours. The currently tight labour market means that employers increasingly exert pressure on employees to work longer hours, some of whom, particularly younger employees, are willing and able to meet such demands. The research findings also revealed that it is mainly women, those in dual-income households with children and older employees who would like to "buy" more time off. Those in single-income households earning a low income and younger employees prefer to earn more money than receive extra time off. Collective agreements, in AbvaKabo's view, need to cater to these different preferences. However, the union still believes that arrangements concerning care leave, childcare and policy on older employees should continue to be regulated at a collective level. According to AbvaKabo's collective bargaining coordinator, it will not be possible for individual employees to deal with these matters. A standard collective package, towards which all parties contribute financially, must be maintained, says the union; individual choices must be available over and above such a basic package. While "multiple-choice" collective agreements are already a reality, Abvakabo rejects the concept of a "comprehensive" flexible collective agreement, within which each employee determines his or her own terms and conditions of employment from a menu of options.