Employees in nursing homes, residential care facilities, home care, and youth health services in the Netherlands will receive a 7.4 percent wage increase over the next two years. This is under a new collective labor agreement reached between unions and employers.

The agreement, which covers about 500,000 workers and is described by the CNV union as the largest in the Netherlands, is set to take effect on Sept. 1, pending approval by union members. The pay raise will be implemented in four stages.

In addition to higher wages, the agreement includes a modest increase of a few cents per kilometer in travel reimbursements. That is both work-related travel and commuting.

CNV board member Bart Schnoor said he is positive about the outcome. “It yields more money, especially for the lowest incomes, particularly for domestic care.”

Marion van Zoom from the employers’ organization ActiZ called the deal a strong result. “We have not only made agreements about wages but also about issues that are important for employees in daily practice, such as workload, safety, and decision-making authority.”