2020 promises to be a very interesting year. The two-and-a half year CLA’s for Nouryon and for AkzoNobel expire the end of this year, while the CLA of mid 2018 for Nouryon is still not yet formally signed. Just this week I saw the draft text coming along. It is quite normal to have primary labor conditions, like income, laid down in the CLA.

In the CLA-1 for Nouryon the distribution of profits is changed into a 13th month. In the final offer Nouryon matched the 13th month for CLA-1 with the STI bonus arrangement for CLA-2. The 13th month of CLA-1 is laid down in the CLA. In the opinion of Nouryon the STI arrangement for CLA-2 only refers to an internal arrangement outside the CLA.

This is an important component of our income, which also counts towards our pension. So this should be in the CLA. Nouryon’s argument that this concerns an international bonus arrangement doesn’t matter.

End 2020 also the pension contracts of AkzoNobel and of Nouryon with the foundation Pension Fund APF expire. January the pension fund  invited the Social Partners to exchange views about the risk attitude of the pension fund. This is required in preparation of the pension arrangements for 2021. Complication is the national pension agreement, which still has to be elaborated, so we don’t know how it turns out. In the meanwhile the pension fund is responsible to prepare itself for the future. Based on the risk attitude as determined by the Social Partners, employers and unions, the fund can have calculations made about the pension premium and build-up and how the investment policy should look like. In addition it is calculated what happens if AkzoNobel and/or Nouryon decides to accommodate the pension arrangement outside APF. Determining the risk attitude is complex. Choices have to be made about the chance indexation can be realized against the chance of cutting down pensions. In this process employers and employees aim at an payable premium. Using a risky investment policy increases the chance of indexation but also the chance of cutting down.

Using the actuary calculations of many scenario’s the Social Partners can determine how the final risk attitude should look like.

Within our union a lot of developments take place. We have vacancies in the Members Council, for which we don’t have candidates. Several sites and members groups are not represented now. At AkzoNobel only RD&I is represented. The is no representation of Integrated Supply Chain and of Marketing & Sales. At Nouryon Hengelo and Geleen are represented by Deventer. We miss contact persons for

Amsterdam and Delfzijl. Post-active members are already some time without representation. The Board is preparing ways how this can be improved. For an union it is essential to keep the union going together. Volunteers are necessary. Also our union is confronted with the trend of less willingness to contribute to the union. Both employers repeatedly ask how the support for the way labor conditions are reached can be increased. The Board looks at this problem and discusses it with the Members Council.

Our negotiator and caretaker Chris van Loon retires in April. The Board discusses follow-up with the umbrella organization, the Union of Independent Trade Unions (UOV). We hope to inform you shortly.

Because of the substantial lower employers contribution the union has to work with a lower budget. Highest priority is the individual support.

For the deliberations with the two employers we will have to apply the available capacity as efficient as possible. We can do this with the support of staff members. 2020 is a challenge for our union to take care of your interests in both CLA’s and the new pension arrangements for 2021.

Are you interested to commit yourself to the union and your colleagues, please contact me.

 

Loek van Driel

e-mail loek.vandriel@planet.nl

tel. 06 1232 0889