Who is covered by the CLA hospitality? This is what has changed

In the CLA hospitality 2024, the scope has been adjusted. The scope concerns whom the CLA applies to. Together with social partners (CNV and KHN), we found this adjustment necessary. We want a fair playing field in the hospitality sector. Employers should not compete with each other on employment conditions. Good employment conditions make the hospitality sector more attractive to work in (and stay).

What was it like before the adjustment?

In hospitality, there is the CLA hospitality as well as the CLA of the Dutch Hospitality Guild (NHG CLA). The employment conditions in the NHG CLA are less favourable than in the CLA hospitality. Both CLAs could coexist. That is still possible, but there is now an important change. Check for a comparison.

What has changed?

If an employer is affiliated with NHG, they must first apply for dispensation from the parties of the CLA hospitality. With a dispensation request, the employer asks for (partial) exemption from the CLA hospitality. Such a request must meet conditions. An important condition is that the other CLA has at least equally good employment conditions as the CLA hospitality.

• Does your employer get dispensation? Then they do not need to apply the CLA hospitality.
• Do they not get dispensation? Then they must apply the CLA hospitality.

The CLA hospitality is generally binding until 31 December 2026. This means that this CLA applies to almost all hospitality businesses in the Netherlands, including NHG businesses.

NHG disagrees with this

NHG disagrees with this adjustment. They believe they should be able to continue applying their own CLA without the permission of the CLA parties in hospitality. They find this contrary to various legislation and international treaties. It would infringe on their contractual freedom to conclude a CLA. Additionally, they believe that the companies affiliated with NHG are distinct from those under the CLA hospitality (mainly small hospitality businesses), making the application of the CLA hospitality difficult for them and not suitable, and therefore should not be required of them.

NHG has therefore:

• not applied for dispensation from the CLA parties
• submitted a request to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW)

They did this for both the CLA hospitality 2024 and the CLA hospitality 2025/2026.

Court ruling

SZW rejected NHG's request for dispensation for the CLA hospitality 2024. NHG first objected and then appealed against this. On 17 December 2025, the Amsterdam court declared the appeal unfounded. This means that NHG was also ruled against by the court. The court finds that SZW rightly rejected NHG's objection. NHG can still appeal this decision until 29 January.

What does this mean for the sector?

This ruling is important. The agreements in the CLA hospitality remain in place. And the principle of a fair playing field and preventing competition on employment conditions does too.

At De Horecabond, we find it important that there is a clear minimum for employment conditions. For us, that minimum is the CLA hospitality. The CLA hospitality is a minimum CLA, you can always make better agreements with your employer, but not worse.

What happens next?

NHG's dispensation request for the CLA hospitality 2025/2026 has also been rejected by SZW. NHG has objected to this again. That procedure is ongoing. Because the court has already made a clear ruling, we have confidence in a good outcome.

Marlotte Ferouge
Union representative hospitality