Improving the labor market is a bridge too far

Source: MKB-Nederland   MKB-Nederland is disappointed that after fourteen months of consultation in the SER it has not been possible to reach concrete agreements with the unions on improving and renewing the labour market. 'A bad outcome for both employers and employees', according to chairman Michaël van Straalen. Our aim was and remains that employers can hire people for an indefinite period more easily. At the same time, there is an urgency to adapt the labour market to the demands and developments of the 21st century. Continued payment of wages MKB-Nederland has made concrete proposals in the SER to tackle the acute problems on the labour market, such as adjustments to the obligation to continue paying wages in the event of illness and the Work and Security Act (WWZ). The current labour market requires more than just repairing existing legislation. MKB-Nederland would also have liked to make agreements with the unions about an innovative approach to issues such as lifelong development, the shortages of technically trained people and the job opportunities at the bottom of the labour market. Michaël van Straalen: 'The wishes of MKB-Nederland for adjustment of the continued payment of wages in the event of illness and the WWZ turned out to be too much of a subject for trade-offs due to the connection of numerous themes such as self-employed persons, triangular relationships, flex and tendering. As a result, there was insufficient evidence of an approach aimed at a solution approach. We also want to commit ourselves to eliminating excesses with flex and to stimulating permanent employment contracts, but this must be made possible for us.' Click here for the full news item.