The recent improvements in salary scales for support staff in the education sector have been met with great enthusiasm. According to Gerlinde Michels, the chief negotiator for the collective labor agreement (cao), the equalization of a significant number of annual bonuses to the new October bonus is a wonderful recognition for support staff. Michels expressed her delight at the overwhelming support from CNV members for the agreement. Additionally, there is a plan to assess the training opportunities available for support staff, making it easier for them to determine how they can further professionalize themselves.
One of the key highlights of the new cao is the right to disconnect and the focus on maintaining a socially safe working environment. Michels also mentioned that there will be an investigation into improving and making the commuting allowance scheme more sustainable. This was a specific request from the CNV membership.
For school leaders, new exemplary roles have been established. By July 1, 2025, school leaders will engage in discussions with their superiors to be placed in an appropriate salary scale. The director scale D12 and the deputy director scale A11 have been discontinued.
However, in the secondary education sector, there is still no cao agreement. At the end of September, the VO unions walked out of negotiations due to the inability to reach agreements on workload issues. Despite this, Michels remains optimistic, stating that progress has been made in the primary education sector. A process agreement has been reached to improve workload distribution models, break policies, and the work context for school leaders, with the aim of making adjustments in the next cao.
The signing of the agreement by social partners is scheduled for October 22. Due to the time required for administrative offices to process the new cao, it is expected that the salary increase will take effect in December, with retroactive pay from October 1.
To stay informed and participate in discussions, individuals are encouraged to follow updates on the cao-PO page for primary education. Once the new cao is finalized, the document will be made available for reference.
In conclusion, the recent developments in the education sector regarding salary scales, rights for support staff, and improvements for school leaders are positive steps towards creating a more equitable and supportive working environment. The ongoing efforts to address workload issues in the secondary education sector demonstrate a commitment to continuously improving conditions for all education professionals.