Trade unions and Albert Heijn have reached an agreement on a new collective labor agreement for distribution employees. This seems to put an end to the strike and the empty shelves in Albert Heijn stores. Union members still have to agree.
It has been agreed that the employees will receive an additional 10 percent. FNV and CNV seemed to be close to an agreement with Albert Heijn last week, when the supermarket also put that wage increase on the table. That ricocheted because the supermarket group only sent an invitation, and no wage offer.
Marjon de Koning, director of logistics at Albert Heijn, does not want to say much about this. Negotiations can be quite difficult at times. It concerns almost 6,000 employees and this is about more than just a wage demand. These are processes that you do together, and that sometimes requires a little more time and attention. It’s about the end result. ‘
‘These are processes that you do together, and that sometimes requires a little more time and attention’
Supermarket prices
De Koning cannot yet say what the consequences of the salary increase will be. The supermarket does not assume that prices will go up. ‘We are constantly working on improving our processes. That is separate from this collective agreement. Affordable shopping is our priority, and we do that in various ways.’
In addition to the wage increase, agreements are being made about contract extensions for part-time employees, and new permanent jobs will be added. ‘It’s about having a good collective labor agreement for our employees. We are pleased that we have reached a negotiating result.’
