December 10th
DSM, Covestro and the tradeunions Synergo, FNV, De Unie, CNV reached a negotiation result regarding a collective labour agreement (CLA) for the employees who will be transfered from DSM to Covestro. The result you can find here.
The core of the result is that the DSM Cao will continue to apply until March 31, 2022 and that the DSM social plan has a term of 5 years after the completion date.
The current social plan at DSM may run until March 31, 2023, but we have been able to extend that term. In addition, we believe that with regard to the DSM company-specific employment conditions that are not applicable under Covestro, agreements have been made with Covestro that are equivalent. The pension scheme can be continued with PDN.
The Synergo negotiating delegation consisting of Lennart Wingelaar, Henk Janssen and Casper Vaandrager presented this result with a positive advice to our members. On Thursday December 3 there was an MS Teams meeting in which the negotiation result was explained. The vote via online survey has been finished, and our members unanimously agreed with the result.
We thank the negotiating team for the result achieved: Lennart Wingelaar, Henk Janssen and Casper Vaandrager.
November 17th,
The MS Teams meeting on November 11 about the Brunello project (the sale to Covestro) was attended by no less than 64 people, many members but also many colleagues who were tipped off by our members. The great respons shows that it is alive, that for many an uncertain time.
During the session, the status of tghe negotiations was explained and the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. About 24 points have been put forward and will be valuable input for the negotiators.
A minimum of three rounds of negotiations are planned: 5 - 12 - and 19 November. We keep our members informed of developments through newsletters. Depending on new information, a next MS Teams meeting will be organized by the negotiation team Casper Vaandrager, Henk Janssen and Lennart Wingelaar.
The Covestro sale affects approximately 1800 employees worldwide and about 700 in the Netherlands. And for those 700 people, things need to be properly arranged.
It is important to know that the current DSM Collective Labor Agreement remains applicable until March 2022 and the Social Plan until March 2023. The provisions in the DSM Regulations Book also remain valid until the end of the Collective Labor Agreement period. As a result, transition schemes, My Choice (including converting budget into wages or days), TOR, parental leave and pension schemes are in effect until then. For matters not regulated in the CLA, a transitional CLA will be introduced, which is currently being negotiated by DSM-Covestro and the trade unions.
For the period after 2022 there will be a new Covestro collective labor agreement, we as unions will then have to get to work again to reach good agreements.
The transition to Covestro is mainly for market technical reasons, supplementing and strengthening the Covestro portfolio. This gives courage for the future for those who pass along.
But also points of concern for DSM employees who are left behind at affected departments such as ASC / DMSC, who work via an SLA, such as IT and Purchasing. Covestro wants to achieve synergy benefits when overlapping with Covestro activities, which can also affect people. We also work for these colleagues, in negotiations or, if necessary, individual advice.
Within Synergo we will arrange a separate member-group for DSM / Covestro, in which the current members from the Zwolle, HvH and Waalwijk business, but also the members who will be transferred from support departments, in particular in Geleen. We hope that even more employees from that base will become members of Synergo-vhp.
November 9th,
For those transferring to Covestro, there is an MS Teams meeting in which status is explained and questions and concerns can be raised. The meeting via Teams will take place on Wednesday, November 11, from 11:00 to 12:00. Many members, but also not (yet) members have registered for this.
For the readers who are not (yet) members of Synergo-vhp, below is a brief introduction to Synergo, and our role in the negotiations.
Via this email we would like to inform you about what a trade union, in this case Synergo-vhp, can do for you.To start with, perhaps joining a union tastes different, and the more a union which also represents the interests for the non-blue collar employees.
However, luckily, in the Netherlands a white-collar union is well accepted and appreciated. High ranked managers are openly Synergo-vhp members. Synergo-vhp is a trade association for professionals from all levels within the organisation, working at DSM and companies that have emerged from it in the past.
We represent your interests, collectively through negotiations for a collective labor agreement, but also individually by providing advice on employment conditions or legal assistance. Our style: we actively seek your input, a personal approach, and communication. In negotiations we look for a good compromise, offer solid counterplay, actively enter into a dialogue with the employer.
The developments at DSM Materials are very topical, including the sale to Covestro, uncertainty at both the Business and the support departments in Geleen in particular. The role of Synergo-vhp:
- partner in the negotiations with DSM and Covestro for a transitional collective labor agreement, the switch from a DSM contract to a Covestro contract. - somewhat longer term, the switch to a specific Covestro CLA whereby the aim is to retain as many achievements as possible from the DSM period
- advice and possibly legal assistance for employees with individual questions, specifically personal situations
- by keeping in touch the local situation through local contact persons ensure that we can respond quickly to developments.
- the items which are to be arranged in the transition CAO see the message below
Do you have questions, mail to
November 2nd
The idea is that we will negotiate a so called transfer-cla (collective labour agreement) with three parties: DSM, Covestro and the unions. One meeting is allready held and three meetings will take place in november.
In the case of this transition the rights of the employee’s are protected by law, by the DSM-CLA, specific regultations DSM (Regelingenboek) and the DSM social plan. However specific DSM-labour-conditions can not be transferred such as profit-sharing scheme or shares (options) and more. So there is a lot to negotiate about:
- The employee option scheme
- Result pay for 2020 and from 1 January 2021: profit-sharing scheme and result-based pay scheme with regard to A target
- Pension scheme / 100k scheme (new scheme effective January 1, 2021)
- Health insurance Zilveren Kruis
- Collective accident insurance
- Years of service and anniversaries
- Works council position
- Relationship trade unions Membership ODS and FSI)
- Private insurance with the DSM insurance office
- Possibility of an employment guarantee
- Welcome bonus Covestro - farewell bonus DSM
- The insured 3 years of unemployment benefit (SPAWW)
If you have any colleagues who are not (yet) union members, it is now really high time to speak to them and register, click here . Together we are strong, for good terms of employment now and in the future.
October 9th
As is known, DSM intends to transfer the activities of DSM Resins & Functional Materials including Niaga (DRF), the Coatings business of DSM Advanced Solar (DAS Coatings) and DSM Additive Manufacturing (DAM) transfer to Covestro. This operation is known under the name Brunello. Covestro is in itself a stable company which is a spin-off from Bayer, they hope to be able to achieve solid synergy by acquiring these parts of DSM.
Of course, it also means a lot for the employees who still work at DSM today: in one of the DSM Companies involved, but also in the support departments that work a considerable part on commission for those parts. Synergo and the other unions will be involved in the transition.
In general, in a transfer such as this, the rights of the employee are legally protected. The Civil Code stipulates in this regard: "Due to the transfer of an undertaking, the rights and obligations arising at that time for the employer in that undertaking from an employment contract between him and an employee working there automatically transfer to the transferee."
We will soon be meeting with Covestro to discuss the terms of employment. The current DSM collective labor agreement will continue until it expires in March 2022. There are, however, a few exceptions, because these are specific to DSM, such as option schemes and the pension scheme. It is therefore important for us to arrange things in such a way that no disadvantage for the employees will arise. The DSM Social Plan applies. As mentioned, we will soon be meeting with DSM / Covestro and of course we will keep you informed.
If you have any colleagues who are not (yet) union members, it is now really high time to speak to them and register click here. Together we are strong, for good terms of employment now and in the future.
Het onderhandelingsteam van Synergo:
Casper Vaandrager, Henk Janssen en John de Graaf.