Implementing regulations NWO-D, NWO-I, CWI and NIOZ harmonised

Commuting allowance
Employees who live less than 10 kilometres away from work will receive an allowance of 12 cents per kilometre.
Employees who live 10 to 30 km from work will receive 19 cents per km with a maximum of 170 euros per month.
 
Business trip allowance
Travel by public transport is fully reimbursed based on 2nd class travel and if there is a valid reason for it based on 1st class travel by way of exception.
An allowance of 19 cents per km will be paid for trips by private transport. In exceptional situations, an allowance of 28 cents per kilometre applies.
 
Diploma bonus
In order to stimulate and value doing training courses, employees who obtain a diploma from a training programme for which study facilities are granted will receive a bonus of 250 euros.
 
AVOM bicycle
Employees who make use of a bicycle for commuting can purchase a bicycle from their gross salary up to a maximum amount of 750 euros once every five years via the customised conditions of employment scheme (AVOM).
 
Internet allowance to be cancelled
From 1 January, no more compensation will be paid for internet, unless special internet connection requirements are set for the work.
 
Work-related costs allowance to be cancelled
The work-related costs allowance from the implementing regulations of the former FOM will be cancelled as of 1 January 2018.
 
Directors’ days to be cancelled
The directors’ days (directeursdagen) that applied to the former FOM will be cancelled as of 1 January 2020. In 2018, another two director’s days will be granted and one director’s day in 2019.
 
Other points
A number of allowances, such as those for company emergency response team members, interns and for secondments will also be harmonised. Furthermore, a number of regulations relating to legal status will be updated. This concerns, among other things, the whistle-blowers’ scheme and the code of conduct for sexual intimidation, aggression, violence and discrimination. The code of conduct for use of alcohol, medicines and drugs has been added to the implementing regulations.
 
WGA contribution
In addition, it has been agreed that no more contribution will be recovered for the Return to Work (Partially Disabled Persons) Regulations (WGA) from employees of the former FOM, CWI and NIOZ. This will yield a small financial benefit for the employees in question. This does not apply to employees from NWO-D, ASTRON, SRON and NSCR. They are already not charged a WGA contribution.
 
The new implementing regulations will be published in a booklet that will made available to all employees in the course of the first quarter. The implementing regulations are also placed on intranet.

I would like to express my great appreciation and thanks to both negotiating teams, the NWO Central Works Council, the NIOZ Works Council and the CWI Works Council for the constructive way in which the negotiations were conducted. I realise that it was a difficult assignment to negotiate new implementing regulations under considerable time pressure, which represent progress for many employees, but which mean the cancellation of allowances, on the other hand, for a substantial number of other employees. A long-term transitional arrangement was agreed in order to come up with a solution for this. Employees who are placed in a worse position as a result of the changes to the implementing regulations will receive full compensation for that in 2018. That compensation will be phased out in stages in the following seven years. During the phasing out period, the benefit from the cancellation of the WGA contribution will be offset.

Caroline Visser
Vice President Executive Board