Roar for a better horeca collective agreement

In my previous blog, I talked about the preparations for the CLA campaign in the hospitality sector. Now, one and a half months later, it's time: the campaign is starting! Of course, our hospitality pro Tigo plays an important role again. This year, he is joined by Tiga, the new face of catering. This is not without reason. We are negotiating a new CLA that will apply to both hospitality and catering staff. Together, Tigo and Tiga are strong and they urge everyone in the sector to make their voices heard. Your voice makes the difference Before we can negotiate a new CLA, we need to know what's happening on the work floor. That's why we're already heading to the work floor to find out what's going on. This summer, we will actively engage with employees from the hospitality and catering sectors. Through a questionnaire, we collect ideas, wishes, and issues. The more people participate, the better we know what is important. And the stronger we are at the negotiation table. From wishes to proposals We then discuss the results of the questionnaire with our CLA committee. This committee consists of members of De Horecabond, colleagues from the field who know what's happening on the work floor. Together, they determine which topics are most important. Based on that, we draft a proposal letter for the employers. Employers also gather wishes from their supporters. They then send their proposals to the unions.  Time for negotiations After that, the negotiations begin. This is often the most exciting phase of the whole process. On the employers' side, Koninklijke hospitality Nederland (KHN) represents the sector. De Horecabond and CNV represent employees. A member of our CLA committee always attends the negotiations as an observer. We agree in advance on the minimum number of negotiation rounds. During these discussions, both parties put their proposals on the table, exchange ideas, and look for solutions that everyone can agree on. What is a mandate? Together with the CLA committee, we determine our mandate in advance. This is the scope within which we are allowed to negotiate on your behalf. Negotiating sometimes means giving and taking. Therefore, it is important to make clear agreements about what is possible and what is not. Some topics are so important that the CLA committee indicates that we cannot deviate from them. We hold on to those demands. During the negotiations, we regularly contact the CLA committee. We discuss the employers' positions and determine together how we will respond.  What outcomes are possible? If the negotiations yield a result, we review with the CLA committee whether it fits within the agreed mandate. There are several possible outcomes: Negotiation result Sometimes not all wishes are realised, but there is a result that both parties can work with. This is called a negotiation result. The CLA committee decides whether this result is presented to the members. Then it is up to you to vote on it. Principle agreement A principle agreement fits within the previously agreed mandate and has the support of the CLA committee. Therefore, it is always presented to the members with a positive recommendation. Final offer Sometimes employers and unions are too far apart. Then one of the parties can make a final offer. This essentially means: this is the maximum result possible. The final offer is then presented to the supporters. You decide whether it is accepted or rejected. Voting on the result Members and non-members can give their opinion on the result. The vote of members is decisive. The vote of non-members is important but counts as advice.  To conclude a CLA, at least one employers' organisation and one employees' organisation are needed. If a majority of KHN, CNV, and De Horecabond vote against it, the unions and employers must return to the negotiation table to come up with a new proposal. If a majority votes in favour, and this also happens with CNV and KHN, the agreement is developed into a new CLA.  What happens next? After the agreement, the CLA is registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW). Usually, CLA parties also request the CLA to be declared generally binding. This means that the agreements will apply to almost all employers and employees in the sector, even if they are not members of a union or employers' organisation. And if no agreement is reached? It can also happen that parties do not reach an agreement. In that case, the negotiations can be halted. Sometimes a new negotiation date is immediately set. But unions can also decide to step out of the talks and organise actions or strikes. 

De Horecabond has launched the campaign 'Roar for a better CLA' today. With the campaign, we are calling on employees from the hospitality and catering sectors to contribute their thoughts on the new CLA hospitality. The outcomes will form the basis for our approach during the upcoming CLA negotiations.  This summer, we will be travelling across the country to engage in discussions with employees. At a time when both sectors are facing staff shortages, high work pressure, and rising living costs, good employment conditions are more important than ever. Through an online questionnaire, employees can indicate what they consider important regarding pay, schedules, work pressure, working hours, and other employment conditions. "People working in hospitality and catering know better than anyone what is going well and what can be improved. That's why we want to first listen to what is happening on the work floor. The more employees make their voices heard, the stronger our position at the negotiation table will be," says Edwin Vlek, chairman of De Horecabond. Tigo gets support from Tiga For the campaign, hospitality pro Tigo is joined by Tiga, the new face of catering. This shows that while hospitality and catering may have different settings, they share the same passion for hospitality. "A strong CLA doesn't start at the negotiation table, but on the work floor," says Marlotte Ferouge, union officer hospitality at De Horecabond. "Before we enter discussions with employers, we want to know what employees find important. Their experiences and ideas form the basis of our approach during the negotiations." A broader campaign This year's campaign is broader than in previous years. Catering employees are also invited to contribute their thoughts on the new CLA. From 1 January 2027, catering employees in, among others, company restaurants and care institutions will also fall under the CLA hospitality. This means that soon there will be one CLA for both hospitality and catering employees.

From pioneering in an attic room and building a department to digital Teams meetings. After hundreds of conversations with employees and employers, countless CLA negotiations, and a series of internal changes, Johan Bijlsma bid farewell to De Horecabond after nearly 39 years. He retired on 1 June. His story. Let's go back to the beginning. You started in an attic room with the aim of building a district. What did that initial period teach you about this work?“What I learned is that it takes a lot of time to gain the trust of employers in the hospitality sector. They consider the union troublesome, while I always indicated: make use of us. As an employer, you also want your employees to be satisfied. I also experienced that there is little Insights among employees about how a CLA is established and why union membership is important. Some employees saw it as a betrayal to their employer if they joined. That has improved somewhat.”  “What I further learned is that people should not wait until there is a problem, but that they should request information from us. If you approach us before there is a conflict, the employment relationships remain good. I must say that sometimes the safety to discuss matters is lacking. On the other hand, employees should also present themselves more resiliently. We also invest time in that. We make it clear that it is nice to know that as an employee you have the union behind you.”    In nearly forty years, much has changed in your work and in society. What is the difference between then and now?“When I started, we held consultation hours in various cities. Now we do a lot of advisory work digitally and go directly to the companies. We have become visible in a different way.” “The organisation has changed. In the early days, we had regional departments. After the merger with the food union, there were five full-time union representatives, with layers below. Now there is a very flat organisation. The last few years I found to be the most beautiful years. We are now a close-knit team of employees doing it all together. We feel more collectively responsible for what we do. The culture has changed, and a lot is invested in it. With culture days, where you get to know each other better. In the past, you sometimes felt alone and solved your problems yourself. You also shared much less.”  What has remained exactly the same over all these years?“That employers want to dismantle much of what we have built in terms of conditions. See the recreation sector, where investors are decisive due to takeovers. The profits go to the enterprises, not to the employees. The same applies to how the government deals with social security. If you see what we have built in the Netherlands after the Second World War in terms of decent schemes and provisions, and how they are now being undermined. From shortening unemployment benefits to the state pension age: the bill is always handed to the hard-working Dutch person. That’s why a union is important.” What are you really proud of?“Of the excellent CLAs I have been able to conclude, the improvements we realised in the recreation CLA. And in finding creative solutions for employment conditions, even in times when it became tense. I remember a devilish dilemma at Albron/Center Parcs, about twelve years ago. The company was struggling and investments were under pressure. The choice was: a round of redundancies, where a group would end up on benefits and lose thirty percent, or everyone giving up three percent and a job guarantee. It became the latter. Whereby the employees got their salary back after a relatively short time.” “I am also pleased that I have concluded a CLA for the RVU twice, an early retirement scheme. Around corona and now in 2026. Now heavy work has been added to qualify. This means for various people in hospitality that they can really stop working earlier.”  What is your message to employees in hospitality?“Realise that you can have more impact than you think. You are really important when it comes to better employment conditions. The more people are involved, the better your position as a negotiator is and the better agreements you can make with employers. Gather information from us about employment conditions, make sure you are informed. And if you have an issue: don’t wait until it becomes a conflict, but contact us earlier.” What does your future look like? What will you miss, what won’t you?“I will miss my colleagues, the members, and all the staff. When I get up, I always check my emails. I will miss that involvement. I am glad that I can mentally come to rest and no longer always have to think about how to solve matters. But after a while, the itch will surely come again. What won’t I miss? I quite like driving, but I won’t miss spending a lot of time getting somewhere.”