All employees aged 23 and over are entitled to the statutory minimum salary. This is the salary you must receive at least per hour or per month when you work. For employees between the ages of 15 and 23, a minimum youth salary applies. The amount of the statutory minimum salary is reassessed twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July. The salary amount depends on age and the full-time working week within the sector you are employed in. This can be 36, 38, or 40 hours per week.
The statutory minimum hourly salary as of 1 July 2015 is as follows:
| age | 36 hours p.w. | 38 hours p.w. | 40 hours p.w. |
| 23 years and over | € 9.67 | € 9.16 | € 8.70 |
| 22 years | € 8.22 | € 7.78 | € 7.39 |
| 21 years | € 7.01 | € 6.64 | € 6.31 |
| 20 years | € 5.94 | € 5.63 | € 5.35 |
| 19 years | € 5.07 | € 4.81 | € 4.57 |
| 18 years | € 4.40 | € 4.17 | € 3.96 |
| 17 years | € 3.82 | € 3.62 | € 3.44 |
| 16 years | € 3.33 | € 3.16 | € 3.00 |
| 15 years | € 2.90 | € 2.75 | € 2.61 |
Recently, the statutory minimum youth salary has been much debated. Various actions have already been taken to discuss that the youth salary is outdated. FNV advocates for the position that equal jobs should be equally paid. Someone aged 18 can do exactly the same work as someone aged 30 but often receives a lower salary: the youth salary. Of course, the minimum salary is a set threshold, and an employer can always offer more. In CLAs, other agreements can also be made.
Do you work in hospitality and is the hospitality CLA declared applicable in your employment contract? From the age of 22, according to the CLA, you are considered fully qualified and should receive the basic salary for your role. If you are younger than 22, you earn a certain percentage of the basic salary associated with your role.
Youth salary demonstration
On 10 October 2015, over a thousand young people demonstrated against the youth salary. Earlier, over 130,000 signatures were collected for the petition: adult salary from 18 years, which were handed over to Lodewijk Asscher. The abolition of the youth salary has also been discussed in the House of Representatives. Opinions are divided; does the abolition of the youth salary lead to more or fewer jobs? Will young people continue their studies? These and more points will be raised in the parliamentary debate on the youth salary that will take place later this year. Meanwhile, a proposal has been adopted in the Amsterdam City Council to make the capital youth salary-free. Hopefully, this example will be followed in more cities and eventually adapted by the cabinet for the whole of the Netherlands.
Do you also want to take action? Then visit www.youngandunited.nl