In February 2010, cleaners initiated industrial action for more pay, better working conditions and greater appreciation. Trade unions organised industrial action and strikes, directed mainly against large companies such as Dutch Railways, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and banks, even though the cleaners are not directly employed by these companies. After six weeks of action, the cleaners reached an agreement, including higher travel expenses and a 3% pay rise.
Cleaners in the Netherlands began industrial action in February 2010 with a view to seeking better pay, compensation for travel expenses, better employment conditions and language courses during working time. Negotiations on a new collective agreement for the cleaning industry had collapsed. Cleaners were also taking action in order to raise awareness among both their employers and the public of the value of their work. After some weeks, the demonstrations evolved into strikes – dirty railway stations and flight departure halls helped to convince employers and the public of the cleaners’ worth.
The Allied Industry, Food, Services and Transport Union (FNV Bondgenoten), affiliated to the Dutch Trade Union Federation (Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging, FNV), and the Industry, Food and Transport Workers’ Union (CNV Bedrijvenbond), affiliated to the Christian Trade Union Federation (Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond, CNV), are calling for a decent wage for cleaners. Ultimately, the trade unions want cleaners to earn 130% of the minimum wage. This proportion is around 105% to 112% at present. Given the current state of the market, employers asserted that there was no room for more pay; the trade unions’ demands would mean wage increases of about 10%.
Price pressures from big customers
The industrial action targeted customer companies because the trade unions realised that the clients of the cleaners’ employers held the solution to the collective agreement conflict. For example, industrial action took place at Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and in banks, including ABN Amro.
Customers such as NS negotiate lower prices from the cleaning companies, which in turn compensate for this lower turnover by paying their employees lower wages. The cleaning industry had become trapped in a negative price spiral and the sectoral social partners had reached a deadlock in their negotiations.
Quality code
Employer representatives want to establish a committee encompassing the trade unions, employers, employees, customers and government. The Employer Organisation for Cleaning and Business Services (Ondernemersorganisatie Schoonmaak- en Bedrijfsdiensten, OSB) believes that employers – including large client companies – must set a new standard for good employership, which should be included in collective bargaining. The new committee would be responsible for developing a code of conduct for good employership. Employers would prefer to consider professional sector-wide standards for quality as the bottom line in the market rather than a minimum wage rate. Agreements on a quality standard would lead to less work pressure, whereas wage increases could lead to an even greater workload. Such agreements would have to be reached on the basis of production units, because the most important price factors are the hourly wage and the time spent working.
It is not yet clear which companies would be willing to commit to a code of conduct, although customers including NS have stated that they would be prepared to work towards establishing such an initiative. NS had become the primary target of the trade unions’ protests. Stations were not cleaned and FNV members held sit-in protests for days at the national rail hub of Utrecht Central Station in the centre of the Netherlands.
Trade union and employer concessions
In mid March 2010, the views of the employer and employee representatives started to converge. The FNV and CNV trade unions had reduced their earlier 3% wage demand to 2% on an annual basis during a two-year collective agreement. OSB appeared willing to spread out 2.5% over the two-year period. This represented a far-reaching concession on the part of the employers, which had previously clung to a zero pay increase, arguing that the current market would lead to further price pressures.
Over time, OSB was prepared to concede to trade union demands for travel expenses and training for the striking workers. Moreover, the employer organisation was enthusiastic about language training.
The Chair of FNV, Agnes Jongerius, hoped that an agreement would soon be endorsed by big customers including NS, Schiphol and the banks. In tackling the industry’s clients, FNV is in fact fighting a battle that should be waged by OSB. FNV Bondgenoten tabled its own additional demands at the end of March; the striking cleaners must be given full-time employment contracts and temporary employees should also be able to strike.
Agreement reached
After six weeks of strike action, on 26 April, the cleaners reached an agreement. In addition to higher travel expenses and a contribution towards the costs of Dutch language lessons, they will receive a pay increase of 3% in two stages over the coming two years.
Marianne Grünell, Hugo Sinzheimer Institute (HSI)