# Multimodal transport pay talks pushed back to 16 November

> Unions and employers say they are very disappointed that the public transport negotiations have delayed talks on a new collective agreement for multimodal transport workers.

Economy · published 2026-10-29 05:31 · https://nlnow.nl/a/start-of-multimodal-transport-pay-talks-delayed-to-16-november/

Talks on a new multimodal transport collective labour agreement (cao), due to begin on Thursday, have been postponed. The first bargaining session is now 16 November. The unions and employers say the separate public transport (cao ov) negotiations disrupted their start.

In a message to members, the parties said they understand the pressure on the public transport process, but that this does not lessen their disappointment. They said they had worked hard together to begin on Thursday regardless. "That our collective agreement negotiations nonetheless have to give way, we find particularly galling," they said.

The message was signed by Peter Varenbrink, CNV negotiator, also on behalf of FNV, VVMC and VWMO. It says the aim remains to reach good agreements in constructive talks, and that members will be kept informed.

**What happens next**

- 13 November: members receive the unions' proposals and the employers' proposals
- 16 November: first bargaining session
- 24 November: second bargaining session
- 1 December: third bargaining session, as planned earlier
- 15 December: fourth bargaining session, as planned earlier

## Background

- **cao (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)**: A collective labour agreement (cao) is a contract negotiated between trade unions and employers or employers' organisations that sets pay, working hours, holidays and other conditions of employment for a sector or group of companies. It binds the employers who are party to it and their employees, and the government can declare it generally binding so that it covers all employers and employees in that sector. Most Dutch employees have their pay and terms set by a cao, so new agreements, such as the one for multimodal transport, are widely followed.

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