Pharmacies employees have received where they asked. After months of strikes, employers and trade unions have concluded a main line agreement that must serve as a basis for a new collective agreement that includes a wage increase of twenty percent.
The twenty percent increase is spread over two years. That means that at the end of 2026 the wages are fifth higher than in July 2024. In addition, in 2027 there will also be an elevation on top.
In the new collective labor agreement, the steps are elaborated with which wages rise to get to the agreed percentage. Trade union CNV hopes that there will soon be a new collective agreement. According to the trade union, the wage increase is necessary to reduce the backlog on other sectors.
There are also other agreements in the outline agreement. For example, pharmacies must receive their reimbursements in a different way in the future. They are now paid on the basis of the amount of medicines they provide. That must change into a reimbursement for the care provided. “That is a recognition that employees of pharmacies are healthcare professionals. They say: we are not sellers, we work in a crucial chain,” said a CNV spokeswoman.
The outline agreement was reached after mediation of former minister Martin van Rijn. The cabinet had asked him to break through the impasse in the negotiations on the collective labor agreement for pharmacy staff. At the end of last year, the employees resigned several times for a new collective agreement. Those actions were suspended because of the mediation of Van Rijn, and it will remain the case for the time being.