On January 1, 2026, a new collective labor agreement (CLA) for temporary workers in the Netherlands took effect. The agreement, negotiated by the ABU (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen) employers' association and trade unions, makes significant changes to the employment conditions of temporary agency workers.
Key Changes
The new ABU CLA requires temporary workers to receive an employment conditions package equivalent in value to that of permanent employees in comparable positions. This includes not only base pay but also benefits such as bonuses, vacation days, training budgets, and pension contributions.
Importantly, the agreement specifies that a shortfall in an essential employment condition cannot be offset by surplus in a non-essential one. This prevents agencies from offering higher base pay while providing fewer benefits.
Joint Liability
The new CLA introduces joint liability for agencies and client companies. Temporary workers can hold both the agency and the hiring company responsible for unpaid wages. This is intended to address situations where responsibility for worker welfare is divided between parties.
Chain Rule Changes
The Dutch government is also implementing changes to the "chain rule" (ketenregeling) that governs temporary contracts. The Wet Meer Zekerheid Flexwerkers (Act on More Certainty for Flexible Workers), expected to take partial effect in July 2026, extends the interruption period between temporary contracts from 6 months to 60 months.
This change is intended to prevent the practice of cycling workers through temporary contracts with short breaks to prevent them from qualifying for permanent status.
WTTA Licensing Law
Alongside the CLA changes, the WTTA (Wet Toezicht Tijdelijke Arbeid) licensing law was approved by the Dutch Senate in November 2025. The law will require all employment agencies to obtain a license from January 2027, with a €100,000 security deposit and fines of up to €90,000 for operating without a license. Enforcement is scheduled to begin in January 2028.
