Final collective labour agreement for 2026–2027

On 20 July, a final agreement was reached on the 2026–2027 collective agreement for Dutch universities. All parties to the collective agreement have approved the outcome of the negotiations for the 2026–2027 collective agreement for Dutch universities. This means that the terms agreed during the negotiations have been formalised into a final collective agreement. The collective agreement will run from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

Wages

This agreement provides for a structural pay rise of 3.1 per cent with effect from 1 July 2026, plus an additional 50 euros gross per month. Staff in lower pay scales will therefore benefit proportionally more from this than those in higher pay scales. On average, this amounts to a pay rise of 4.1 per cent. All employees will also receive a one-off gross payment of 1,534 euros based on full-time employment. The pay rise and the one-off payment will be paid out by October 2026 at the latest.

Maintenance of allowances during pregnancy

Allowances that employees received prior to pregnancy will now continue to be paid during maternity leave.

Right to be unreachable

The outcome of the negotiations also includes the right to be unreachable, to help maintain a better work-life balance. The on-call and attendance allowances have also been increased to recognise the extra effort that specific employees put in whilst on these duties.

Click here for the final collective agreement (in Dutch)