While the average person in the Netherlands now makes 3% more than last year, it’s still not enough to cover the costs of the country’s current record-breaking inflation.
While we are witnessing the highest wage increase since 2008, it is still not easy to enter any supermarket without getting slapped in the face by the prices.
Over the past year, consumer prices have risen by approximately 10%. As a result, even with a wage increase, the average Dutchies will have a slimmer wallet at the end of the month compared to this time a year ago, RTL Nieuws reports.
So, who got what?
While there’s still a huge teacher shortage in the Netherlands, wages rose the most in the education sector. According to a new calculation of the CBS, teachers were given a 7% rise in the fourth quarter of 2022.
READ MORE: Interest, inflation, and lower house prices: what does this mean for Dutch housing?
While it looks like the decision-makers were not moved by the farmers’ protests last year, in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and energy sectors wages rose only by 2%.
The good news is that collective bargaining wages are expected to rise sharply again in the new year because many new collective agreements are only taking effect in 2023.
Simply not enough
And will any of these wage increases be enough to tackle the current cost of living crisis? Nee.
In fact, in spite of a general rise in wages, the average worker in the Netherlands will now enjoy a wage development of -6%, CBS reports. 🙃
Meaning that yep, that monthly payslip will be, on average, 6% less powerful than it was last year. Top.
Turns out we have unions
Don’t fret just yet, however. It’s not all doom and gloom.
One of the many things that we can thank the crazy high inflation for, however, is the fact that we were forced to focus more on worker’s unions.
Their main goal nowadays is to demand higher wages. Shocking, right? They demand that the increase would be in addition to their demand for an aperiodic wage increase.
Which is your favourite crisis nowadays? Tell us in the comments!