Engineering deal for cutting working hours

Trade unions and employers in the light engineering sector have reached broad agreement on a temporary cut in working hours, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday.


However, the two sides have not yet agreed on the financial implications of the shorter working week, the paper says.
Under current rules on short-time working, staff are entitled to unemployment benefit (70% of their salary) for the hours which are scrapped.
But engineering unions say no-one should get less take-home pay, particularly if workers whose hours are cut are required to retrain, as the employers want.
The cabinet still has to give its approval to any deal, the paper said.
Yesterday it emerged that 15 companies have already applied to the social affairs ministry for a licence to introduce shorter working hours.
Their requests come as employers, ministers and trade unions hold behind the scenes talks to try to avoid mass redundancies
At the moment, companies faced with a disaster, such as a fire or flood, can apply to the ministry for a licence to reduce staff hours for up to six weeks.

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