No improved contracts for students

No improved contracts for students

The government will tackle the labour market, but not for students with part-time jobs. They will continue to work on temporary jobs and zero-hours contracts. They themselves would prefer that.

After long consultations with trade unions and employers, minister Karien van Gennip (Social Affairs and Employment) has sent a plan to the House of Representatives to “lay a new foundation under the labour market”.

Flex contracts, or temporary employment contracts, should be converted into permanent contracts more quickly in the future. The government also puts a stop to zero-hours contracts. But students with a part-time job are exempted, even though they, on the contrary, often have zero-hours contracts. If they work less than 16 hours a week, the plans do not apply to them. “Research shows that young people generally appreciate flexibility in their contracts,” the minister writes. “They can allow their schedule and commitment to fluctuate with time off, for example, or exams weeks when they can work less.”

Excluded
The ‘revolving door construction’ will also remain possible for students. So they can work on a temporary contract for three years, then leave employment for six months and then get another temporary contract instead of a permanent one. For other workers, this ‘break’ will be extended from six months to five years, but not for students.

FNV Young & United is annoyed that students are excluded from the plans. “Abolishing the zero-hours contract and reducing flexibilisation is good news in principle,” says president Yasmin Ait Abderrahman. “But it should not be the case that students and scholars are excluded from it.” (HOP, PvT)