More than half the pay and conditions agreements (cao) in the Netherlands have now come to an end without a new agreement being signed, according to employers’ association AWVN.

Of the 5.4 million workers who fall under a collective pay deal, 2.8 million people are now without an active agreement. In total 514 of the 900 pay deals are now waiting to be renewed, the AWVN told the Telegraaf.

AWVN director Hans van der Steen told the paper: ‘Because of the crisis, many companies have no room to offer something extra.’ This makes the 3% wage rise demanded by the FNV union a stumbling block.

Last year, wages rose by an average 1.5%, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

Van der Steen says there needs to be more creativity in the negotiations. For instance, paint company Talens has agreed a cao of 1.12% if workers hand back two days of their holiday entitlement. However, workers can buy back the two days if they want to, the Telegraaf says.