KRALENDIJK – On Thursday, the trade unions ABVO, ACOM, NAPB and STrAF reached additional agreements with the Director of the Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN) on the employment conditions of RCN staff. The agreements implement a provision included in the current collective labour agreement.
The most significant change concerns salaries as of January 2026. Instead of the previously agreed increase of 1.5 percent, wages will rise by 5.5 percent. In addition, it was agreed that every employee will receive a minimum gross increase of USD 150, calculated pro rata based on working hours. The employer and unions say this measure is intended primarily to strengthen the income position of employees in the lower salary scales. Salary-related allowances will also increase by the same percentage.
It was further agreed that, from 2026 onwards, employees working in shift schedules will continue to receive their irregular duty allowance while on vacation leave. In the area of pensions, the so-called cap — the salary level above which no pension is accrued — will be increased by 5.5 percent as of 1 January 2026, to USD 59,750, instead of the previously agreed 1.5 percent.
During the consultations, the parties also discussed further ambitions related to life-phase-oriented personnel policies, including parental leave. These topics require further elaboration and will be discussed again in 2026.
Collective Labour Agreement
The new agreements build on the collective labour agreement concluded in December 2023 for the period 2024–2026. At that time, it was agreed that additional consultations would take place if extra financial resources became available. This led to a first addendum in December 2024. The current agreements form the second addendum and will take effect as of January 2026.
