De Bijenkorf is unable to reach an agreement in the collective labor agreement negotiations with the employees. The department store is now offering a six percent pay rise. According to the store staff, it is not enough: tomorrow they will protest on the Beursplein during their break.
According to De Bijenkorf, a wage increase of six percent is in line with the expected decrease in purchasing power. The CPB expects that consumers will be able to buy an average of six percent less of their money in the coming year. According to the department store’s plans, that wage increase will partly be implemented in the short term: this year De Bijenkorf wants to increase the wage by 3.5 percent, the other 2.5 percent will follow in the summer.
In any case, the employees of De Bijenkorf want to see a more substantial wage increase: they are more likely to think of a wage increase of 10 percent. That would be in line with the increase in the minimum wage. “We believe that wages should increase proportionally, so experience is also well rewarded,” says Linda Vermeulen of FNV Handel. “Then people will want to work at the Bijenkorf again and we think that is also good for the future of the company.”
To care
Vermeulen finds the reasoning that a wage increase only encourages a price increase is nonsense. “Companies just make a profit. They now pay part of that to the shareholders,” says the union woman. “AIf you make that part smaller, you don’t have to pass that on in the price. Wages in this shopping street are among the lowest in all of the Netherlandsd. It is important that employees put pressure on the company so that a larger part of the profits goes to pay increases.”
“Employees are very proud of De Bijenkorf,” says Vermeulen. “They think it is the most beautiful store in the country. But they are also concerned. The wages are too low. Colleagues leave and new employees often leave quickly. Something really has to be done now.”
‘Conversations in a good atmosphere’
“De Bijenkorf has had various discussions with the trade unions in a good atmosphere between June and September,” says a spokesperson for the department store. “Because we want the proposed salary increase to take effect as soon as possible in the interest of our employees, we submitted our final offer during the last consultation on August 30, so that we can immediately start implementation on October 1.”
De Bijenkorf does not yet want to respond substantively to the demands of the FNV. “The unions have yet to formally respond to our final offer. We are awaiting their response.”