Members approve garden seed sector pay deal
Union members have approved the new collective labour agreement (cao) for garden seed companies, so CNV will sign it and, once the texts are signed, ask the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment to make it binding for every employer in the sector.
A clear majority of union members voted in favour of the proposed deal for the new cao Tuinzaadbedrijven, the collective agreement for garden seed companies, CNV said. The deal is accepted and CNV will sign it. The unions put it to members without a recommendation.
Why it matters
- Wages rise by 3.25% on 1 October 2026 and by another 3.25% on 1 January 2027.
- A one-off payment of 3.25% of gross monthly salary covers January to September 2026.
- The travel allowance rises from €0.23 to €0.25 per kilometre.
- From 1 October 2026, part-time staff will get the same overtime arrangement as full-time staff.
CNV says members agreed because they saw the outcome as the "highest achievable", not because they were satisfied with the content. Some members said the pay rise lags behind inflation and does not reflect the sector's good results. CNV says it is passing all critical signals on to employers.
Many members miss a central 80/90/100 scheme for older workers. CNV says the issue is not off the table: it supports works councils in making local agreements and will push for a scheme for the whole sector in the next round of talks.
From 1 January 2027, employers will set aside at most 0.5% of the payroll each year for informal-care and/or bereavement leave. Employer and works council must draw up an arrangement by 1 April 2027 at the latest.
Talks began on 11 October 2025. A petition signed by 1,626 employees was presented to employers.
Once the texts are signed, CNV will ask the ministry to declare the cao binding for the whole sector, so that every employer in it must follow the agreement.
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cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)
A collective labour agreement (cao) is a contract negotiated between employers or employers' organisations and trade unions that sets pay and working conditions, such as wage scales, working hours and holiday entitlement, for a whole sector or company. Each cao is named after the sector it covers, for example a cao for a specific industry, and it applies to the employees within that scope. In the Netherlands, cao agreements are a central part of wage setting, and many are declared generally binding, which extends them to employers and workers who were not party to the negotiations.