FNV itself spoke of a 'meagre' final offer, but the union's members have nevertheless agreed to Albert Heijn's proposal for a new collective agreement. The new terms and conditions of employment are thus set for the next two years.
Members of trade union CNV also agreed to Albert Heijn's final offer. The new collective agreement covers some five thousand logistics employees of the supermarket chain. They will get a wage increase of a total of 5 per cent over the next two years. Staff in distribution centres will get a training budget of three thousand euros with three training days. Employees who become redundant due to automation until 2023 will be offered a new position within Albert Heijn.
FNV earlier expressed dissatisfaction with Albert Heijn's final offer. According to the union, the distribution workers would not benefit enough from Ahold Delhaize's sales and profit growth. The chain recorded sales and profit growth of 3.6 and 5 per cent respectively in 2018 in the Netherlands. A 5 per cent wage increase over two years is disproportionate to these increases, FNV said. "For us, too, it is important that purchasing power improves," he said.
Image: Albert Heijn's DC in Delfgauw. dafinchi / Shutterstock.com
