A CAO is a written agreement covering work. The rules apply to all workers in the same sector. A CAO contains arrangements covering wages, working hours, holiday days and other matters.
A CAO is acollective labour agreement. A Dutch CAO is a written agreement between one or more employers and their employees that contains rules on wages, working hours and holiday days, for example. The arrangements usually apply to a company or an entire sector and have priority over your contract, unless your contract has better terms.
There are many different CAOs. Examples include the:
A CAO is entered into by one or more employers (or employer organisations) and unions (representing the employees). They can tell you if there is a CAO that applies to you.
There are two types of CAO:
Sometimes a CAO applies to all the employers in a sector. This is known as a ‘generally binding CAO’. A government minister decides if a CAO is generally binding.
If there is a CAO, the arrangements agreed in that CAO have priority over your own contract. Your contract can include better arrangements, but not worse ones.
If there is no CAO, you agree arrangements with your employer. However, these arrangements must comply with the law. It is a good idea to put these arrangements in writing.
There are many different CAOs in the Netherlands. Examples include employment agency CAOs, the Greenhouse Horticulture CAO and the Meat Sector CAO. These apply to sectors employing large numbers of migrant workers. Every CAO has rules on wages, working hours and holiday days. To find out which CAO applies to you, ask your employer or visit the union's website.
If you have questions about your CAO, contact a union in the Netherlands. This is an organisation that stands up for workers' rights, including yours. For example, you can call FNV on + 31 088 368 03 68 or CNV on +31 30 751 10 01. You might have to become a member first in order to get help.
If you are a temporary worker, you can contact the SNCU helpdesk. Call 0800-7008 (free from Dutch phone numbers) or +31 85210 40 80 (if calling from abroad), or send an e-mail to helpdesk@sncu.nl.
Check whether the sector you work in has a CAO. For example, there are CAOs for the horticulture, transport and meat sectors. The arrangements contained in a CAO may differ the legal requirements, but only to your advantage. This means you cannot be paid less than the national minimum wage, but you can be paid more. Most CAOs include a table of wages and a list of jobs. You can then see if you are getting the right wages for your job.
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