# Philips pay talks fail after seven rounds

> After seven negotiation rounds, Philips has tabled a final offer on the collective labour agreement, and union members will vote on it after staff meetings that start on 27 October.

Economy · published 2026-10-21 05:57 · https://nlnow.nl/a/philips-staff-to-vote-on-final-pay-offer-after-talks-fail/

The unions and Philips failed to reach a collective labour agreement (cao) after seven negotiation rounds, and Philips has decided to put a final offer (eindbod) on the table, the unions said. They say the gap between the mandate their members gave them and what the employer offered could not be bridged.

**What happens next**

1. 27 October, Drachten: 15.30-17.00, in Dutch
2. 28 October, Best: 15.30-17.00 and 17.00-18.15, in Dutch
3. 2 November, Amsterdam: online Teams meeting, in English
4. 3 November, HTC Eindhoven: 12.00-13.00, in Dutch and English

The union FNV says the final offer shifts pay from fixed to variable reward, and that the proposed cao wage rises lag behind inflation. It also says the budget for merit increases is cut and moved into the cao wage room, and that pay scales are barely indexed, which limits room for career growth.

The unions will explain at the staff meetings what they think of the offer and what it means for employees. Non-members are welcome. Exact locations and the Teams link are still to follow.

After the last meeting, a digital ballot opens for each union, and its members receive a voting link. If members do not accept the final offer, the unions say they will talk to them again about possible next steps.

## Background

- **cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)**: A collective labour agreement (cao) is a written agreement between an employer or employers' organisation and one or more trade unions that sets pay, working hours, holiday entitlement and other conditions of employment for a group of employees. It is negotiated by the parties rather than set by law, and it binds the employers and employees covered by it for a fixed period. Because most Dutch jobs are covered by a cao for their sector or company, its outcome directly affects what many workers earn and what conditions they have.

From NLnow, news from the Netherlands in English. How stories are made: https://nlnow.nl/about/